Home > Vintages and Regions > Other Wines > The Wines of Murcia

The Wines of Murcia, Part 2

This article completes my account of the recent tasting of Murcian wines hosted in Edinburgh, with Spanish specialist John Radford.

I present here my notes on the wines from Jumilla, which constituted the bulk of the tasting. From Bullas there was one bodegas present, Bodegas del Rosario, see my introduction to Murcia for those notes. The lone representative for Yecla, the third of the three Murcian subregions, was unfortunately unable to attend, so I have no notes on these wines. (3/8/10)

The Wines of Murcia Part 2 - Jumilla

These wines were tasted in June 2010. For my introduction and notes on the wines of Bullas, see part one. Click to locate stockists.

A bodegas founded in 1990 which now has 200 hectares of nocturnally-irrigated vineyards at an altitude of 700 metres. The vines are predominantly Monastrell and Syrah.

Bodegas Carchelo Carchelo (Jumilla) 2009: A blend of Tempranillo, Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon, alcohol 14%. A youthful hue. Sweet berry fruit, with a suggestion of good concentration. Dark, quite intense, a hint of cream too. Quite a bold start, creamed raspberry and blackberry fruit. I sense some alcohol here giving a bold structure, but that layer of pretty fruit is more apparent. Quite fresh despite that firm start. Good core of tannins. Nice backbone, gently structured. Bright, a really nice style, fruit-orientated but with some substance. Good. 16/20

Bodegas Carchelo Altico (Jumilla) 2008: This is 100% Syrah, cool-fermented, aged in oak for 4 months, alcohol 14%. Lots of sweet Syrah fruit here, creamy berry, very youthful and fruit-orientated, with no real impact from oak. A very soft start, leading into a more chalky midpalate, and a touch of pepper here. Rather black fruit character although it is in a light style, baring a little structure through the middle. There is a slightly more elegant feel coming in here. Some grip too, more bite at its centre than that lighter start suggested. Nicely composed finish. 15.5/20

Bodegas Carchelo Vedré (Jumilla) 2007: This is Tempranillo, Monastrell and Syrah, aged in new and used French oak for 14 months, alcohol 14%. Interesting style here. There is a very lightly furry quality to the fruit, a touch of cherry too, I think the Tempranillo is showing through here. A much more restrained, quieter style than the Carchelo and Altico, although it does have more time behind it. Polished substance, although a slightly confected style. Quite a hard and crunchy shell of fruit on the finish, with a blast of tannin and a touch of warmth here too. Interesting wine though. 14.5/20

Bodegas Carchelo Sierva (Jumilla) 2008: This is 40% Monastrell, 40% Syrah and 20% Tempranillo, 12 months in French oak with malolactic fermentation there. A huge ball of sweet and plump fruit on the nose here, very rounded and perhaps a touch voluptuous. The same fruit character on the palate at the start, but flattening out through the middle, showing a nice although gentle structure underpinning it all. Good rounded tannins, rounding up with the sweet fruit in the finish. Quite polished, backseat tannins. Fresh. Good. 15/20

Another very recent start-up, established in 1999 with Marcial Martínez Cruz, a well-known and experienced winemaker, as technical director.

Casa de la Ermita Blanco (Jumilla) 2009: This is 100% Viognier, fermented in stainless steel, alcohol 13%. A really attractive, open, lifted, floral and aromatic nose, with a little touch of peach and pine kernel, overall an attractive, clean and classic Viognier. A nice supple style to it on the palate, slightly chalky-talcy but not over the top, perfumed, a touch flowery perhaps. Appealing finish, flourish of sweet yellow plum here. Overall this is very impressive, perhaps leaning too much towards the perfumed side of Viognier for me, but still a remarkable effort, with its clean composition, linear structure and controlled alcohol. 16/20

Casa de la Ermita Monastrell Organic (Jumilla) 2008: This is 100% Monastrell, fermented in stainless steel tank, alcohol 13.5%. A light colour. Fresh, with light fruit on the nose. Just the barest hint of game but really quite clean despite that. There follows a lean palate (although this is a tank sample, note), but with a slightly vegetal character here, a touch of celeriac and celery seed alongside the light style of fruit. More dark and smoky towards the finish. 13.5/20

Casa de la Ermita Crianza (Jumilla) 2006: This is 60% Monastrell blended with a whopping 40% Petit Verdot, with 9 months in French and American oak, 13.5% alcohol. A fading hue on inspection. Interesting nose, notes of raspberry toffee and roast beef. More of that style on the palate, quite bold, the fruit is a little stretched out here, with chalky and light tannins through the middle. Fresh, a touch stony, nice acids, would be good with charcuterie or similar - it has that light style. More tannic and even a touch chewy on the finish though, more than I expected. This will probably still go a year or two in the cellar. 15/20

Casa de la Ermita Petit Verdot (Jumilla) 2006: Pure Petit Verdot, 12 months in French and American oak, alcohol 14%. A dark hue, definitely showing some maturity here. Soft fruit on the nose, rather a chewy fruit pastille style with it, although the fruit does have that slightly savoury character that comes with a little maturity, although there is plenty of black sweetness beneath it as well. Polished and stony character on the palate, rather detached and unyielding in style. A hard wine, leanly textured although with some decent fruit and a rocky core of tannin. This might soften with time perhaps. 14+?/20

A family business with its origins in the 19th century and which today boasts 60 hectares of vineyards and olive groves. here Monastrell sits alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo and Grenache, as well as white varieties including Sauvignon Blanc.

Hacienda del Carche Blanco (Jumilla) 2009: A blend of 34% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Airén and 33% Macabeo. Light maceration, cool stainless steel fermentation, alcohol 12.5%. A beautiful nose here, so lively and fresh, a touch perfumed although that character sits along with a nice layer of yellow plum fruit. Rather more lean and mean on the palate than I was expecting, fooled by the exuberance of the nose. It is good though; there is attractive fruit, but with a dry, stony structure to it. Rather straightforward after all, but still a very good, fresh result. 15.5/20

Hacienda del Carche Tavs Dosmil (Jumilla) 2009: This is 80% Monastrell and 20% Syrah, fermented in steel, alcohol 15%. A bright colour to it, and similarly bright fruit on the nose. Clean, red berry style, exuberant and swish. Gentle substance on the palate, nice fruit here, light texture, not a great depth of character to it although there is some grip. There is also a little heat coming through the middle. Attractive fruit, if a little confected, but it is the heat from that 15% alcohol that really comes through on repeat tasting here. 13/20

Hacienda del Carche Tavs Selección (Jumilla) 2008: A blend of 50% Monastrell, 25% Syrah and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in new oak where it rests for 4 months, alcohol 14%. A really remarkable nose, massive fruit, with a sweet and slightly gamey character. Great depth. Intense, blackcurrant fruit pastilles, the Cabernet Sauvignon really showing through quite strongly here. Lots of substance, sweet but with also a very bold structure beneath it. Structured and grippy, the palate showing lots of Syrah character as well, with a peppery, black berry style. It has the slightly raw character of youth but I think this will come good with age. 16+/20

Hacienda del Carche Old Vineyard (Jumilla) 2007: This is equal portions of Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon from vines at least 50 years old, fermented in new oak, alcohol 14%. Rather gamey and evolving nose here. Attractive. Leaner on the palate than expected, a lighter texture, a touch stony even. Soft fruit through. Rather a light finish although with an incisive, slightly high-toned character along with the fruit. Very soft tannins. This is open and ready to go. 14.5/20

Another family business, this one found in 1916. Here there are approximately 400 hectares of vineyard located at 700-850 metres above sea level. As expected Monastrell dominates, accounting for 85% of the vines.

Bodegas Juan Gil Honora Vera Organic (Jumilla) 2009: Pure Monastrell, fermented in steel, alcohol 14%. A somewhat paler hue here, and a nose of smoky-sweet fruit. Soft character on the palate, rather attractive. Clean, polished, unfussy but held together very well. Little in the way of tannin, with a rather chalky edge to what is there. Nice substance, a touch plump and simple on the finish but there is something to this through the midpalate. 14/20

Bodegas Juan Gil Pedrera Monastrell (Jumilla) 2009: Pure Monastrell again, fermented in steel, no oak, alcohol 14%. Sweet and rather attractive fruit on the nose here, a red berry and cherry character. Perhaps rather soft and plump but certainly cleanly presented. It is a touch confected too though. An attractive palate, unfussy, straight fruit, soft tannins, not over the top. Not a great deal of character either and there is a stronger sense of structure than fruit at times. A wine that would serve a purpose though. 14/20

Bodegas Juan Gil 4 Meses White Label (Jumilla) 2009: From 30-year old vines, cool fermentation, this sees 4 months in French and American oak, alcohol 15%. Not so expressive on the nose here. A nice character on the palate though, gritty fruit, although with a slightly confected edge and a touch of sweet black cherry. Moderate substance, an attractive composition on entry, showing a firmer bite in the midpalate. This wine has a very soft shell of fruit for the structure I think, and is a touch hard in terms of composition. 14.5/20

Bodegas Juan Gil 12 Meses Silver Label (Jumilla) 2008: From 40-year old vines, whole-cluster maceration, 12 months in French oak, alcohol 15%. A fairly restrained colour here. The nose lacks good freshness of fruit, with a rather gamey character alongside sweet, smoky, somewhat confected berry style. Seems much better on the palate though, showing here a fresher style of fruit, with a little grip from the background tannins. Unusually, elements of smoky bacon alongside it all. Nice, appealing textural quality to it though. Perhaps if those aromas settle down (this was only bottled 1-2 months ago) it would be a worthwhile buy. 15-16+?/20

The Luzón winery dates back to the early 20th century although today the business is under the umbrella of the Fuertes Group. There are more than 600 hectares of vineyards planted with Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo and Merlot.

Bodegas Luzón Castillo de Madax (Jumilla) 2009: A blend of Monastrell and Tempranillo, handled in stainless steel, alcohol 13%. Rather a characterless nose, with a sort of distant smokiness. Quite unremarkable palate too. Thin fruit. Stretched out. In his retail days John Radford told us that he used to sell off opened returned faulty bottles as 'cooking wine' - sold for a song, they were very popular with the local students. Is this one of those wines? 11/20

Bodegas Luzón Finca de Luzón (Jumilla) 2009: A blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Syrah, temperature-controlled fermentation, alcohol 14%. Dark fruit here, fairly concentrated and black in fact, although also rather withdrawn and reticent, but undeniably sweet and certainly there! Plenty of good character on the palate too, plenty of fruit, good breadth, with an appealing sweet and aromatic quality to it. Rather softly textured but quite characterful, with good substance at its core. Admirable tannic backbone, ripe but firm, good slightly chewy finish too. Attractive wine. 16+/20

Bodegas Luzón Selección 12 (Jumilla) 2005: This is 50% Monastrell, 20% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, the remaining 10% Merlot. French and American oak for 12 months. A wine showing its age through its colour here, appropriate for 2005 though. Very interesting and distinctive nose here, sweet and smoky, some tobacco too, but also with a blackcurrant pastille character coming from the Cabernet. It also has that Merlot cakiness to it although I doubt I would have spotted that if tasting blind. Elegantly textured at the beginning, polished, nice maturing fruit substance but with an attractive gentle backbone as well. Rather a firm finish with a flourish of high-toned fruit here. Still a lot of structure in the end. Still needs more time. 16+/20

Bodegas Luzón Altos de Luzó (Jumilla) 2006: This is 50% Monastrell with 25% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. The first sample is undeniably corked - not barn-door obvious, but definitely there. There is some dissent but a second bottle is clearly better. This one has a lovely, gamey, old style character that reminds me a little or Barca Velha which I like very much (call me an old-fashioned traditionalist). Sweetness to the fruit, although with a dominant savoury quality. Good substance, a dry structure but with a soft ripeness to the tannins, although they give a nice backbone, with a firm layer of fruit wrapped around. Lovely meat to it. For me, the wine of the tasting. 16.5/20

A winery founded in 1930 by Pascual Olivares and which remains in the hands of his descendents to this day. The vineyards include Monastrell (with some ungrafted vines), Syrah and Grenache planted at an altitude of 825 metres.

Bodegas Olivares Rosado (Jumilla) 2009: Monastrell 70%, Syrah 30%, alcohol 13%. Lurid pink. Sweet strawberry fruit, with that typical strawberry-cream-candy character. A soft palate, fresh though. Not so much character as the nose. Needs to be well chilled I think. 13.5/20

Bodegas Olivares Joven (Jumilla) 2009: This is 75% Monastrell, 15% Syrah and 10% Grenache, alcohol 14%. A moderate colour. Sweet and smoky, with very bright berry and cherry fruit on the nose. Just what you should expect from a joven I think. An attractive palate, clean, well balanced, a nice layer of fruit together with a little core of substance and appropriate acidity. Straightforward but with clean if rather sweet fruit framed by nice lines, and it should be recognised for the good quality it offers. 14.5/20

Bodegas Olivares Altos de la Hoya (Jumilla) 2008: Monastrell 92%, Grenache 8%, 6-8 months in used French oak. An interesting nose, moving away from the fruit-dominated profile that so many of these wines show. More gamey-furry, although with a very dark and ripe character behind which works quite well with it. On the palate it has a soft style, with gentle tannins, a sweet-smoky core with rather light fruit all around. A touch more restrained rather than the fruit-rich exuberance of some. Attractive wine. 15/20

Bodegas Olivares Crianza (Jumilla) 2006: This is 100% Monastrell, with 12 months in oak. This shows through on the nose which has a firm, smoky-oak character, together with rather sweet fruit, the exuberance of the Monastrell coming through despite the oak. It is certainly attractive. Moderate depth on palate, quite a good character. Defined fruit, just a touch savoury-gamey. Ripe, rather sweet tannins, perhaps rounded off by that year in oak. Attractive, not quite ready but close to it. 15/20

Bodegas Olivares Dulce Monastrell (Jumilla) 2006: Pure Monastrell, late harvest and long maceration, only partial fermentation, mutage giving 16% alcohol. A fading glossiness here, but still plenty of colour. Intense sweet-savoury fruit, a sort of melange of raspberries, blackcurrants and black olives with roasted meats on the nose. Intense palate, thick and viscous, mouth-coating. Not much acidity, at least it is less tangible behind the thick, syrupy texture. This is certainly interesting but it lacks the requisite freshness for me to really enjoy it. 13.5/20

An ancient bodegas established in 1870 but which for more than a century dealt only in bulk wines. It was not until 1999 that the descendents of the original founder began bottling wines under their own label, Alceño.

Bodegas Pedro Luis Martinez Romeo Tinto Joven (Jumilla) 2009: Monastrell accounts for 85% here, the rest is Tempranillo. Alcohol 13.5%. A pale hue, blue rim. Rather distant fruit here, strawberry, with a dry and stony quality. There is a little sweetness to it as well though. Rather stony and light. Soft fruit, strawberry sweetness like the nose, and in fact it has rather the same flavour profile and impact as many Spanish rosados. 13/20

Bodegas Pedro Luis Martinez Genio Español Roble (Jumilla) 2009: This is 75% Monastrell and 25% Syrah, with 12 months in oak, alcohol 13.5%. It has an interesting nose, rather diffuse with squishy fruit, with a light red-black berry feel to it. This lighter style carries through on the palate, fresh, with notes of strawberry and liquorice. Attractive composition although a coarser showing right at the finish. Surprisingly light and straightforward in style, especially considering it was placed in oak for a year. Another charcuterie wine. 14/20

Bodegas Pedro Luis Martinez Alceño Roble (Jumilla) 2008: A blend of 60% Monastrell and 40% Syrah. Liquorice and spice on the nose here, despite only 4 months in oak. Tightly creamed fruit, not sweet, with stony edges. Light and similarly stony on the palate although there is a fleshy substance underneath, an oiliness to it providing some texture here. Rather a bare structure, it's only 13.5% but it comes across as higher. Rather dry and stripped out, with the fruit stretched too thin here. 13/20

Bodegas Pedro Luis Martinez Alceño Monastrell 12 Meses Barrica (Jumilla) 2006: Monastrell 85% and Syrah 15%, 12 months in oak, alcohol 14.5%. Evident oak here on the nose, sweet coconut and vanilla laid over the red fruits, with touches of cigar and tobacco. Rather gamey too, although the weight of fruit necessary to support this is there. Moderate weight on the palate, rather elegant in fact, restrained texture, spiced coconut along with a red fruit profile, and a slightly dry core of tannins within. Nice substance and well-judged texture to it though, finishing well. Good quality as long as you know what you are getting. 15.5/20

Bodegas Pedro Luis Martinez Alceño Monastrell Dulce (Jumilla) 2007: Sweet, intense, dark plum fruit on the nose. Very rich and sweet on the palate, intense character, lots of grip, lots of substance too. Nice savoury aspect to the finish. It is rather straightforward in character as sweet Monastrell tends to be I think, but it has a lot going for it; well composed, defined, fresh and balanced in terms of sugar and grip. Fresh and not top heavy. 15.5/20

• See part one for my introduction and notes on the wines of Bullas.