| Monastrell
is the king grape here: In Jumilla, Monastrell
is the most important authorized grape variety and accounts
for 90% of the wine produced. Monastrell is an indigenous
grape variety, also sometimes called Mataró or
Murviedro in Spain, but known to the rest of the world
by the French name Mourvèdre (believed to be the
French pronunciation of the ancient Spanish town of Murviedro).
To be labelled 'Monastrell,' a Jumilla wine must contain
at least 85% of the variety. Other red varieties authorized
in the Jumilla denominación de origen ( D.O.)
are Garnacha Tintorera, which makes a powerful, deeply
colored blending wine; Garnacha, the great Spanish grape
that is also used widely in La Rioja, Navarra, Aragón
and Priorat; Tempranillo/Cencibel, the main grape of
neighboring La Mancha; Cabernet Sauvignon; Merlot; the
exceptionally promising French Syrah; and Petit Verdot
(authorized since 2003), which also shows great promise
(Casa de la Ermita makes an exceptional example).
White grapes: Though white grapes
are insignificant at this stage, also authorized are
Airén (so widely planted in La Mancha that its
acreage ranks first among the world's white grapes);
Macabeo, known as Viura in La Rioja; Pedro Ximénez
of Montilla-Moriles (and Sherry) fame; the ancient Mediterranean
white variety, Malvasía; and Moscatel Grano Menudo
(small berry Moscatel, an important grape of neighboring
Alicante and Valencia). This last grape was approved
in 2003, along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
While not yet officially approved,
Viognier may have promise in Jumilla as well, though
few bodegas make wines from it.
Aficionados of Spanish wines are discovering the joys
of Jumilla wines, and, given the excellent price-quality
ratio of many of these Monastrell-based wines, those
who are looking for wines that deliver a lot of bang
of their buck may find their nirvana in these flavor-packed
wines.
Bodegas Agapito Rico: Wines from this
winery are widely distributed in the US. Agapito Rico's
Carchelo Monastrell, a very reasonably-priced wine made
from old vines Monastrell blended with small amounts
of Syrah and Merlot, has enjoyed steady sales for many
years in the U.S. Carchelo Monastrell is an unoaked,
bright, full-flavored, balanced wine with delightful
ripe red fruit-plums, cherries, red currants-that is
a good match for grilled meats, pizza, paella and pasta.
Agapito Rico makes just over a thousand cases of Canalizo,
an intense 100% Syrah wine that spends 18 months in
oak and needs several years in bottle to fully develop.
They also produce Altico Monastrell-Syrah, a powerhouse
blend that is aged for ten months in French oak.
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