Description

For over 60 years the Castano family have been growing grapes in Yecla. Since 1980 they have also been making their own wines. They now have over 450 hectare devoted to native and international varieties. The most charming of their wines are made from Monastrell.

This is light of weight but rich in character. It is a bit porty/jammy and very fruity. It was nice and simple with plenty of Grenache appeal. With a few more years in bottle it will probably become a bit more savoury and a bit of depth. I’d pair it with a bit of gamey meat for contrast.

D.O Yecla – Due west from the town of Alicante on Spain’s East coast. There is a mix of native and international varieties grown here. But home town grape Monastrell is still the highlight. Higher altitude vineyards keep acidity while dry growing means concentration of flavours. That is a pretty mean combination for making high class wines.

Garnacha – Spain’s gift to the world. We know it as Grenache and I think everyone has a soft spot for it in some way. Almost too exuberant in expressing its sweet red fruits and high alcohol, it often needs a little bit of other wines to add moderation, structure and depth. Much like Abbott and Costello. Despite this the wines of Priorat, Chateauneuf du Pape, Rioja and Aussie GSMs have an amazing ability to age for the long term.