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Bodega San José, a recently modernised cooperative
founded in 1947, is located in Ontur in the southeastern part
of the province of Albacete, a rough region where the vineyards
spread across a table-land surrounded by mountains. It makes
wines under the relatively young Denominación de Origen
Jumilla, established as an official wine-growing region in
1996. Since then, the region has gone through various regulatory
changes, even though the biggest single impact on the quality
of the region’s wines came only a few years earlier,
following the phylloxera attack of 1989. After many of the
vineyards were obliterated, they were replanted to produce
lighter and more approachable wines, suitable for a more international
palate. The climate and the soil of this area make it an ideal
site for viticulture and an incomparable birthplace of great
wines. The varieties grown include mainly Monastrell
(40%), Tempranillo
(25%), Syrah
(25%) and Merlot,
Garnacha,
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Petit Verdot,
Tintorera,
Airén
and Macabeo.
San José was one of the earliest bodegas to start making
wines with Syrah grapes, planted by their forward-thinking
members. The winery has invested in the most updated wine-producing
facilities: computer-controlled grape reception systems, comprising
tables for selection, rollcrushers, pneumatic presses with
automatic analysis and classification, self-emptying stainless
steel vats, self-cleaning and double-walled for precise fermentation
temperature control and sterilising filter equipment. It is
said that the character of the wines from Ontur stands out
from other wine areas due to what is known as “terruno”,
a magical combination of grape variety, composition of soil,
the orientation and pruning of vines and the climate. The
climate of the area is continental, influenced by its proximity
to the Mediterranean on the east side and La Mancha plateau
on the west side. It has a sunny, dry climate, with 3000 hours
of sunshine a year and very low rainfall, 300 litres per square
metre. Winters can reach temperatures well below zero and
summers can be very hot reaching above 40 degrees. The frost
period usually takes place between November and March. The
soils of the designation are brown, brown-lime and generally
have a large capacity for water retention and medium permeability.
This permits the vineyards to subsist under lengthy drought
conditions, making the most of the available water. These
soils have little organic matter and its structure does not
allow the propagation of phylloxera. The soil has a high ph
and low salinity and an ungrafted and sand-ungrafted texture
that gives it good aeration. The vineyards are located between
500 and 800 metres above sea level. Bodegas San José
have recognised that careful harvesting and investment in
new equipment are key to improving the quality of their wines.
These brand new facilities as well as access to grapes of
great quality have allowed their young, and skilled oenologist,
Ivan Peña, who gained much experience working closely
with Telmo Rodriguez in Ribera del Duero, Galicia and La Mancha,
to create his own exciting range of wines with Bodega San
José. We are their appointed UK agents.
NEW!
Click
on the underlined grape varieties for more information.
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