Casa Castillo El Molar 2022
The most special garnacha from Casa Castillo
Although Jumilla is the kingdom of monastrell, José María Vicente, alma mater of Propiedad Vitícola Casa Castillo, owns several plots of garnacha in the Sierra del Molar. There, Casa Castillo El Molar 2022 is born, a fresh and cheerful wine yet not lacking in a certain elegance, thanks to careful aging for 14 months in different French oak containers.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Garnacha tinta
Type of barrel
French oak foudres of 500 and 5000 liters
Type of bottle
Burgundy Bottle
Barrel aging time
14 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Total acidity (g/l)
4.90
Volatile acidity (g/l)
0.58
Sugar
1.99
pH
3.52
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14.5
General Information
It is not very common to find a single-varietal Garnacha in Jumilla, much less of the quality of Casa Castillo El Molar 2022. But that's José María Vicente for you, a third-generation winemaker who knows what it means to achieve 100 Parker points and who has always stood out for his restless and entrepreneurial spirit. And, above all, for his love of the vineyard and the territory that encompasses his land, the D.O. Jumilla.
As of today, the Propiedad Vitícola Casa Castillo owns 174 hectares of vineyards, with the native Monastrell being the most prevalent, although it shares space with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and the Garnacha that concerns us. The grapes used to make Casa Castillo El Molar 2022 come from three Garnacha plots cultivated in high bush on the slopes of the Sierra del Molar, west of Jumilla. José María's meteoric trajectory is understood with wines like this, with incredible uniqueness and an unbeatable quality-price ratio.
Casa Castillo El Molar 2022 is a fresh, intense, and fruity red wine, with an eminently jovial character and very, very enjoyable, especially with vegetable rice dishes or lamb chops grilled over vine shoots. It has an aging period of 14 months divided between 500 and 5000-liter French oak vats, which gives it an elegance and subtlety that is already the house's trademark. The previous vintage was rated 94 points by Robert Parker, and this harvest will not lag behind.
Tasting notes
Garnet red color with ruby rim and medium layer.
On the nose, it is fine and delicate, with aromas of black fruit and berries, along with hints of sotobosque, balsamic, and mineral notes, all on a spicy background with touches of cocoa.
It enjoys excellent balance and is tasty, fresh, sweet, and with a subtle mouthfeel. It has perfectly integrated fine tannins and a long, aromatic, and persistent finish.
The winery
Winery
Oenologist
Winemaker
Casa Castillo (1991) is a family-owned 'boutique' winery committed to the terroir and estate wines. In the early nineties, José María Vicente decided to take the leap into winemaking, relying on the vineyards of the estate his grandfather had purchased in the 1940s.
The estate is located on the high plateau of Jumilla, on slopes reaching up to 760 meters in altitude, sheltered by the Sierra del Molar. Already in the 1980s, José María and his father Nemesio initiated a restructuring of the vineyard. After the renovation of the old winery on the estate, the first wines were launched on the market in 1993.
Casa Castillo was one of the pioneers in recognizing the potential of the monastrell grape for producing high-quality wines. Today, it is a benchmark winery for quality, not only in the D.O. Jumilla but also on a national level. Its prestige is largely based on the preservation of those old dry-farmed monastrell vineyards, many of which are planted on their own rootstock.