Bodegas Olivares
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Winery Fact Sheet
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As Spain's winemaking revolution continues to flourish, one of the next hot spots promises to be Jumilla. Jumilla was one of the few places in Europe spared during the Phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800's. Virtually everywhere on the continent, vineyards were devastated and, to this day, can only be planted on grafted hybrid-American rootstock. For Jumilla, the key to its vineyards' survival was their sandy soil - which is anathema to the Phylloxera insect. And as a consequence, today Jumilla not only has some of the oldest vines in Spain, but certainly the largest number of ungrafted vines.

Most of the region is planted to Mourvèdre, locally know as Monastrell. Jumilla's summers boast hot days and cool nights, resulting in fantastically ripe grapes with good acidity. Bodegas Olivares's vineyards are in the northernmost zone of La Hoya de Santa Ana. This is the coolest subzone of Jumilla, with sandy, lime-rich soils that produce intensely aromatic wines.

Bodegas Olivares Altos de la Hoya Monastrell 2008
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Shelf Talker
The heat-loving Monastrell is known as Mourvèdre in France’s Rhone valley. Jumilla records show that Monastrell was used at least as early as the 15th century. Like the Rhone, Jumilla gets extremely hot during the summer days, but because of the 1,500 foot elevation, nights are very cool. This allows the grapes to become physiologically ripe, yet maintain their acidity.

Snapshot
Country Spain
Region Jumilla
Appellation Jumilla
Color Red
Still / Sparkling Still
Bottle Size Full Bottle (750 ml)
Varieties 92% Monastrell, 8% Grenache



Ratings

International Wine Cellar
Josh Raynolds
91 Points
Inky purple color. Strongly floral nose displays a seductive bouquet of dark berries, lavender, rose and smoky Indian spices. Vibrant blackberry and candied cherry flavors are lifted by zesty minerals, becoming deeper and sweeter with air. The impressively brisk and focused finish features pure berries. Here's another crazy value.