Jumilla

Considered Jumilla to be a millennial land of wine, farmers and wine-producers have been taking care of our vineyards, where the Monastrell variety grows, for five thousand years now.

Grapes

Talking about the Designation of Origin Jumilla means talking about the “Monastrell” variety of grapes. This is the grape variety that has adapted best through time to the climate and soil conditions of this designation and gives character to its wines. The “Monastrell” variety represents over 80% of the vineyards of the designation. The “Monastrell” variety is a vine of Spanish origin, and it is spread across the whole Mediterranean seaside. It is the third most grown variety in Spain. The Monastrell vine is erect with thick, short and not very ramified vine shoots. Its leaves have a pentagonal shape with three marked lobes. It has small or medium and very compact bunches with round, medium-sized blue-black berries. The skin is thick and rich in anthocyanins. It has a fleshy and soft pulp with a small amount of tannins. It is a variety of great hardiness and high resistance to drought, and it needs a good deal of insolation. It has a medium to high sensitivity to blue and white mould , and it is very resistant to excoriose , grey mould, moths and phylloxera.

Other authorised varieties:
-Red: Cencibel, Garnacha Tintorera, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot
-White: Airen, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, Malvasía, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and small grain Moscatel

Climate

The character of the wines from Jumilla making them stand out among products from other areas is due to what is known as “terruño”, a magical combination of grape variety, composition of soil, the orientation and pruning of vines and the climate. The climate of the area is continental, influenced by its proximity to the Mediterranean on the east side and La Mancha plateau on the west side. It is a sunny and dry climate, with some 3,000 hours of sun a year and scant rains – some 300 litres per square metre a year; these rains are very irregular and occasionally can become torrential downpours. The average annual temperature is 16º, with cold winters that reach temperatures below zero and hot summer of temperatures exceeding 40º. The frost period usually takes place between the months of November and March.

Grape production area

The area, which comprises around 19,000 hectares of vineyards scattered between the provinces of Murcia and Albacete , has been considered by specialised media as an emerging designation of origin due to the quality and originality of its wines. All the ones who make wine in Jumilla are full of excitement and making a serious effort at every level to continue offering a bigger and bigger selection of quality wines. That includes everyone from the winegrower, who is extremely careful with his vineyards, harvest controls and ripeness follow-ups, to the owners of the wineries, who use the best technologies and keep their premises modern.

Specificity and historical notes

The Designation of Origin Jumilla has carried on an important wine tradition for centuries. Vines were grown in this area as early as the Hispanic Romanisation. However, it was in the middle of the 19 th century that the filoxera plague hit in broad European areas, mainly in France . This gave the the wine industry in Jumilla a spectacular boost of increased vine growing and a significant rise in must exports to the neighbouring country, which enriched the local agricultural sector. Over the years, Jumilla has become one of the oldest Designations of Origin in Spain , regulated since 1966. The Oenological Research Center has been in operation since the beginning of the 20 th century (today it is the Regional Farming Laboratory and Experimental Winery), and it currently cooperates with the Control Board.