The Jumilla Designated Origin wine area is located in south-east Spain in an area characterised by extensive valleys and plains framed by mountains, a transition zone between the south-east Mediterranean seaboard and the meseta of Castilla-La Mancha, which gives rise to two large areas: the district of Jumilla, in the Region of Murcia, where the headquarters of the Regulatory Board is located, and the districts of Montealegre del Castillo, Fuenteálamo, Ontur, Hellín, Albatana and Tobarra in the Province of Albacete.
CONSEJO REGULADOR D.O. JUMILLA -JUMILLA D.O. REGULATORY BOARD-
Address: C/ San Roque, nº 15. 30520 Jumilla
Tel: +34 968 781 761
Fax: +34 968 781 900
info@vinosdejumilla.org
www.vinosdejumilla.org
The D.O. Jumilla wine area has had a significant wine-producing tradition for centuries. Vines were already cultivated in this area from the romanisation of Hispania. But it was in the mid-19th Century, when a plague of phylloxera devastated large areas of Europe and, above all, France, that Jumilla's wine-growing economy took off spectacularly, with a growth in vineyards and a significant increase in must exports to the neighbouring country that would enrich the local agricultural sector.
Jumilla is one of Spain's oldest Designated Origin wine areas, which has been regulated since 1966. The Oenological Station (now the Regional Agricultural Laboratory and Experimental Winery, which come under the Ministry of Agriculture and Water), has been in operation since the beginning of the 20th Century.
Currently, more than 27,400 hectares of vineyard are registered. The cretaceous soil, harsh climate (with temperatures of up to 41 degrees in summer and 5 degrees below freezing in winter) and low rainfall (an average of 300 litres per square metre a year), contribute to the development of maximum colour and flavour from the grapes.
The wines being produced in Jumilla are of exquisite quality, thanks to the diversity of grape varieties that can be found in the area, with Monastrell as the queen of them all. We are talking about smooth yet full-bodied young wines. Then there are the so-called 'semi-crianzas'; which are young wines matured for no more than six months in the barrel; the crianza and reserve wines, which are amongst the finest in Spain. And sweet wines, which express the full intensity of the Monastrell grape.
Jumilla is most definitely on its way up.
