Winemaker Notes
Produced with 100% Certified Organic Monastrell (Mourvèdre). The Gil Family Flagship wine, as of the 2018 vintage is Certified Organic.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Juan Gil (silver label) was produced with Monastrell grapes from their own old, non-irrigated vines fermented in stainless steel and matured in French oak barrels for around 12 months. It has 15% alcohol and a pH of 3.67, but somehow the wine does not come through as overripe; they eliminate all the raisins with their new optical sorting machine and that makes very clean wines and has increased the precision. They also reduced the toast of their barrels and that increases the integration of the oak with the fruit. Varietal, juicy, soft and very drinkable.
Bodegas Juan Gil is the Gil Family Estate's flagship winery, founded in 1916 by Juan Gil Giménez. Over 107 years, the winery has been consolidated and improved, applying technological advancements to the traditional knowledge passed down through the years. Today the 4th and 5th generations of the Gil family run the winery and group. Located in Southeastern Spain, about 60 miles from the Mediterranean coast, the region experiences a continental climate which is quite extreme: summers are hot with intense sun and winter is long and cold. Diurnal temperature fluctuations are also extreme and rainfall is limited to about 12 inches per year. The vineyards are planted between 2,000 and 2,800 feet above sea level on sandy and rocky limestone soils that are very poor in nutrients, but have a great capacity to hold what little rain does fall. Organic and dry farming is quite typical in Jumilla due to these conditions. Jumilla is known for Monastrell, with over 80% of vineyards planted with it. The Gil family's vineyards are between 40 and 100 years old with very low yields (aprox. 2,200 lb/ac). Monastrell is a thick-skin grape that thrives in the harsh conditions of the climate and terrain of Jumilla, leading to wines with great structure and intense color and complex aromas.
All of the Gil family's estate vineyards are dry-farmed without the use of any pesticides or herbicides and the winery is fully solar powered and "Zero-Waste" (by product is composted, water recycled). The addition of sulfites is kept to the bare minimum to conserve the wines and no other additives are used. The Gil family's commitment to sustainable farming and winemaking doesn't stop there; they are also Gold members of the International Wineries for Climate Action, an international organization which holds the ambitious goal of reaching Net Zero emissions by 2050, all of which requires investments in renewable energy, further shifting agricultural and business practices to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as instilling a culture of sustainability across all aspects of their business.
Full of ripe fruit, and robust, earthy goodness, Mourvèdre is actually of Spanish provenance, where it still goes by the name Monastrell or Mataro. It is better associated however, with the Red Blends of the Rhône, namely Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Mourvèdre shines on its own in Bandol and is popular both as a single varietal wine in blends in the New World regions of Australia, California and Washington. Somm Secret—While Mourvèdre has been in California for many years, it didn’t gain momentum until the 1980s when a group of California winemakers inspired by the wines of the Rhône Valley finally began to renew a focus on it.
Famous for the robust and earthy, black-fruit dominated, Monastrell (known as Mourvedre in France), Jumilla is an arid and hot region in southeastern Spain. Its vine yields tend to be torturously low but this can create wines of exceptional intensity and flavor. Quality combined with accessible price points give the region great recognition on international markets far and wide.
The reds from Jumilla are heady and spicy, packed with fruit and show aromas of dried licorice and herbs. If you like Syrah, Grenache or Pinot noir, a red wine from Jumilla would be a perfect next choice!