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Bodegas Castano

In the past decade or so Spain has seen a great revolution in winemaking. Hitherto unheard of wine regions have begun to make their mark on the international markets, and quality wine from Spain no longer originates solely from the classic regions of Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Jerez. Dozens of other regions are on the up, as winemakers realise that there is no future in selling wine in bulk to the local co-operative, and that financial security will only be achieved by bottling wines of quality and selling them on heir merit. This change in the Spanish wine scene is something I intend to investigate in the future, so that I can put right my Spanish wine guide which fails to reflect these very significant developments.

Bodegas Castano bottles One region which has experienced developments such as those described above is Yecla. This DO is a small region surrounding the town of Yecla, not far from Spain's east coast, comprising gently rolling hills, between 400 and 700m, with a continental climate. The vast majority of vineyards are planted with Monastrell (Mourvèdre, Mataro), with Garnacha (Grenache) also permitted, as well as small quantities of white grapes, and some experimental plantings. The vineyards in question belong to just a handful of co-operatives and private bodegas, and of the latter by far the most significant is Bodegas Castano. Bodegas Castano have had a winemaking presence in Yecla for generations. In the 1980s, however, the winery was rebuilt and re-equipped, and since then the quality of the wines has been on the up. The grapes are sourced from three immaculate vineyards totalling approximately 300 hectares. Fermentations are temperature controlled, with some use of carbonic maceration. Wines are aged in American oak. They are sold principally under the name Bodegas Castano, but also reach the market under a variety of different guises. Bodegas Castano have been behind a number of Winedoctor recommendations in the past. (4/6/03)

Contact details:
Address: Ctra. Fuentealamo 3, APDO 120, 30510 Yecla
Telephone: +34 968 791 115
Fax: +34 968 791 900
Internet: www.bodegascastano.com

Bodegas Castano - Tasting Notes

I tasted the following wines in January and June 2003. Click to locate stockists.

Bodegas Castano Monastrell (Yecla) 2002: A gorgeous colour to this wine, a bright and vibrant cherry red, with some density. The nose is simply bursting with ripe, chewy, juicy black cherries and other black fruits, with some root liquorice. Rich, juicy and mouthfilling on the palate, with some ripe tannins and fairly low acidity. Plenty of fruit, good extract. This is a lovely, approachable example of the grape variety, for current drinking. Good.

Bodegas Castano Hecula (Yecla) 2001: A dark yet vibrant, garnet liquid. Lots of ripe black fruits on the nose, with meaty nuances and a metallic, pencil-lead edge. The palate takes an hour or so in the glass to flesh out, and has grip and structure. Medium bodied, with some texture, and more firm, slightly hard-edged black fruits. Moderate acidity. Lovely food wine. Creamy touch on the finish and some firm tannins there also. Drink now and over the next year or two. Very good.

Bodegas Castano Coleccion (Yecla) 1999: A deep, intense, glossy, red-black wine, which is very suggestive of what is to come. A flashy showgirl of a nose, full of roasted herbs, plums, sweet cassis, toasty oak and the suggestion of considerable extract. Full bodied and full flavoured on the palate, with abundant roasted herb fruit and extract. There's plenty of oak which perhaps needs a little more time to integrate, and similarly there are some powerful spicy tannins which also need time to settle. There's sufficient but soft acidity which takes a back seat. Very good.

Bodegas Castano Coleccion (Yecla) 2000: An impressive colour, a deep and inky purple-black wine. On the nose there is rich and toasty oak, ripe dark fruits, blackberries, raspberries, smoke and chocolate, but also elegant, tarry, rose-petal notes. Full bodied, rich and yet balanced, with good tannin and bags of extract. Piled to the ceiling with ripe dark fruits, with a savoury, roasted meat character on the endpalate. Low acidity, but this seems entirely appropriate. Rich and creamy. Good length with plenty of tannin showing here also. Very impressive, and very enjoyable. This has the structure to age for three to five years. Very good.

Bodegas Castano Monastrell Dulce (Yecla) 2001: A glossy, deep, red-garnet hue. Delicious blackberry crumble on the nose, with a touch of tar or soot, and some roasted game. Very sweet, loaded with blackberry fruit and buttery biscuit on the palate, with soft acidity. The ripe tannins give some needed structure, with just a bit on the sweet finish. Quite an impressive length, with a slightly drying tannic character to counteract the sweetness. Loaded with aroma and fruit rather than complexity, but very enjoyable. Good.

I tasted the following wines between April and October 2002.

Bodega Castano Monastrell Dulce (Yecla) 1999: A wonderful, intense, glossy red-black hue. There is power and sweetness on the nose, which has burnt sugar and molasses character, aromas of chocolate and tar, with punnets of macerated summer fruits. On the palate, a creamy texture is the most noticeable and appealing feature. Chewy, tar-coated, plum, chocolate and crushed summer berry flavours, and a tremendous depth. Full bodied, with spicy but supple tannins and correct acidity. It finishes with some powerful flavours, and has plenty of length. This is a delicious alternative to LBV Port. Excellent. (7/8/02) Label

Bodegas Castano Hecula (Yecla) 2000: A good, youthful, deep red hue. There is a great depth of plum and blueberry fruit on the nose, with sandalwood aromas which blow off with time. The palate makes an immediate impression with its sweet texture but firm backbone of tannins. There is lovely burnt plum fruit with a sweet chocolate and cream edge, soft acidity and good alcohol. A great savoury finish with some alcoholic power. Delicious stuff. Very good. Label

Bodegas Castano Infierno (Yecla) 1999: Yecla is a wine region on the East Mediterranean coast of Spain, which is gaining a reputation as a source of some good value, clean, fruity and technically correct wines. This is a change from the region's output in the past, which was typified by rustic, high alcohol reds, frequently with more than a touch of oxidation, evidence of poor winemaking. This is one of the new style of wines, a novel blend of Mourvèdre (Monastrell) and Merlot, which works well. It has a smoke, blackberry and blueberry fruit nose, with and edge of spiced meats and chocolate. There are soft, slightly grainy tannins on the palate, with firm, fresh acidity. The texture is good but not as luscious as the nose (or label!) might suggest, although there's plenty of flavour, with smoke, berry fruit, chocolate and a classic fruitcake edge. Straightforward, attractive, but very enjoyable. Very good. Label

I tasted the following wines in October 2000.

Bodegas Castano Monastrell Merlot (Yecla) 1998: An attractive purple sheen in the glass. The nose gives little away, just some red fruits, with some unimpressive dusty, floury, plummy Merlot aromas. Really quite light on the palate, with soft, dry, chalky tannins, fairly sharp acidity and not much fruit. Harsh on the finish. It's remarkable to think this wine received a Gold Medal in the 1999 International Wine Challenge - it is representative of the problems this now gigantic wine competition faces. Fair.