Winemaker Notes
Bodegas Carchelo was founded in the early 1980s in one of the earliest efforts to bring Jumilla into the age of modern wine. In addition to the indigenous Monastrell (Mourvèdre) variety, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are grown to enhance structure. Achieving a fresh and balanced style, by the early 1990s Carchelo's rich young red had put Jumilla on the road to international respectability.
Located at altitudes between 2,000 and 3,500 feet in the transition between Spain's coastal plain and inland La Mancha, Jumilla's aridity combines to result in fresh nighttime temperatures during the hot growing season. Chalky and clay soils offer ideal footing for the red varieties. At under eight inches of rain per year, grape health is seldom a problem. 700 acres of estate vineyards are planted to Monastrell (Mourvèdre, both ungrafted head-pruned and wire trained vineyards), Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet and Merlot, and are located in a wide variety of subregions, altitudes and exposures, reducing the risk of frequent hail damage in the area.
Estate vineyards are located in five distinct Jumilla subregions with varying exposures and soil profiles, assuring a healthy diversity of fruit and vintage consistency.