It was a rainy day again at Wednesday the 23rd of October. With 17 degrees we were ready to visit ‘Propiedad Viticola Casa Castillo,’ a family owned property divided over hundred hectare vineyard. As elaboration of the fruit production the family also has a wine cellar. This region is known as El Altiplano de Jumilla (Jumilla High Plateau) and the region continuously enjoys a mild climate near the Mediterranean Sea. In this region there is a variety of Monastrell, Garnacha and Syrah. Cabernet Sauvignon grows here under the best possible weather conditions. The vineyards are cultivated in the most traditional way; in a vase-shaped formation (‘en vaso’). The cultivated plots are spread all over the field, where you can distinguish three different areas:

- The Valley; exists of clay soil. Here you can find the original Casa Castillo Vendimia and Casa Castillo Crianza. - At the sunny mountain-side, which consists of twelve hectare of sandy soils, there is an old plantation called ‘a pie franco’. This is not-grafted in American vines and still growing. We tasted a vintage 2005 (a warm year) which showed us a bouquet of red forest fruit. It was an intense wine; it started open and smooth full, intense medium dark ripe fruit, light dry tannins and mineral notes at the end. There was a big difference between 2005 and 2006. The vintage of 2006 was finer, more flexible with primarily a taste of dark fruit and is characterized by the dry mineral and long spicy aftertaste.

- The Valtosca wines are coming from the sandy and not grafted soil covered by limestone. This area is lying between stony mountains and the valley. The basic grape of this area is Syrah and this grape was very good in the vintage 2006. This wine really surprised us with his still closed bouquet but it has a soft start with a high intensity of elderberries, light tannins, a round feeling in the mouth, spicy hints a chocolate at the fine mineral end.

Jumilla is part of the wine region Lavante and is influenced by the wind in a southern climate where it can be 40 degrees. The soil consists of high chalk and large stones (pebbles). At the 24th of October it was a rainy day again, in fact of the 760 mm rainfall we enjoyed 400 mm of it! But we kept the spirits up and we went to the tasting room of the Luzon winery. We listened to ideas of a winemaker who tried to produce wines with a character of minerals and herbals.

The main grape Monastrelle ( Mourvedre ) is the local grape, which provides black berries taste. We compared Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in a blend of the Luzon Crianza 2004 (fermented 12 months on French and American oak barrels) and tasted ripe, stuffed plums, intensity and spicy moot feeling.

The Petit Verdot wines of 2007 and 2008 was remarkable and gave us an impression that 2007 was a year of physiologic ripeness with supple, ripe, black berries with light tannins and herbal smoothness. The year 2008 gave us intensity, mocha, cassis and blackberries in the length.

The 100% Monastrell was a sensation: light sweet hints of black berries, smooth with chocolate and balsamic at the end. I thought Eureka! that should be a wine with our beautiful dessert with Christmas in Ciel Bleu Restaurant. It is so fine and warm of taste.

Bodega Castaño owns 400 hectare of wineries with a big selection of grape like the original Macabeo, Garnacha, Tintorera and Monastrell. International grape clones share Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The plants are cultivated ’en vaso’, with an attitude of 500 metres above sea level. Large stones sand and at some places limestone give the wines that mineral notes at the end. The average age of the plants are between 60 to 80 years, small crops but are intense.

With the lunch they served us Castaño Bianco ( Chardonnay & Macabeo ) which was fresh with papaya fruit, fine acidity and crispy at the end. Beautifull with Ensalada de Marisco and Cogollos de lechuga con tomates de la tierra y sus adornos. We tasted a Hécula 2005 and a Castaño Collection based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell: Intensity of black berries, fine acidity, cedar and herbals at the end. Wonderful by Plato Principal Arroz Caldoso ( estilo yeclano ).

Conclusion: The visit to Lavante area was a nice discovery of nice wines, innovating ideas and a member for our Christmas 2008.

Seasonal greetings, Noel Vanwittenbergh