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Tucked into a small corner of southeast Spain is one of the greatest sources for delicious, multi-layered, and decadent reds you\\u2019ll find. In the province of Murcia, at latitude 39\\u02daN lay two regions of Monastrell (Mourv\\xe8dre) production that have quietly churned out wine for more than 3,000 years: Jumilla (joo-ME-yah) and Yecla (YAY-clah).
Today, these regions are magnificent but receive so little press that we can get exquisite bottles that have the fullness, richness and depth for less than US$20.
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In the podcast, we take you through the wine history of the region --from the early days with the Phoenicians to the Romans and then the Moors, and then a few strange brushes with the phylloxera root louse that at first propelled the region\\u2019s wines, then decimated the land and ultimately saved this area from a fate of nasty bulk production to make it a quiet haven of powerful reds.
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We discuss the conditions in Murcia, discuss Bullas, a small Denominac\\xedon de Origen and then we move to the big guns of this area: Jumilla and Yecla.
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Jumilla\\xa0
Jumilla is the best area quality in Murcia and also makes the most wine. Vineyards are spread across a wide valleys and plateaus surrounded by mountains. A few geological and climate facts:
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Jumilla is one of Spain\\u2019s oldest DOs \\u2013 its historical legacy as a high-quality wine producer is well known in its native land. It now makes whites, reds, and ros\\xe9s, although the reds are the flagship for the region.
Monastrell represents 85% of the vines planted and 80% of any blend must be this grape. The character of the wine is superb: \\xa0it tastes like dark fruit, earth, and minerals with a brambly, gamy character. With age, these flavors mellow to be more like dark soil, coffee and spice.
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Although it isn\\u2019t prevalent, Jumilla makes ros\\xe9 from 80% Monastrell too -- in the best versions it\\u2019s similar to the ros\\xe9 of Bandol, in Provence, France with some acidity and tannin and, from a careful producer, the opportunity to potentially have a longer life than 1 year.
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Modern technology, good farming and a consistent climate mean there isn\\u2019t a lot of vintage variation here although the region does have aging classifications similar to Rioja:
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Yecla
Towards the end of the show, we discuss the smallest and northernmost wine zone in Murcia, Yecla. This area is landlocked by other DOs:\\xa0Jumilla DO\\xa0to the southwest,\\xa0Almansa DO\\xa0to the north, and\\xa0Alicante DO\\xa0to the east. It\\u2019s 50 miles (80km) inland and represents a transition from more coastal Mediterranean influences to hotter, arid continental conditions.
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Yecla is similar to Jumilla in that its altitude allows the grapes to maintain acidity at night, creating balance in the wines.
If you haven\\u2019t tried these wines yet, get on it. They will become your new go-to and a total revelation for your palate (and wallet!).
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Thanks to our sponsors this week:
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