Casa Castillo Pie Franco (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2017
Winemaker Notes
Depending on whom you consult, the Pie Franco from Casa Castillo is considered: the benchmark wine from Jumilla, the best example of Monastrell in Spain or one of Spain’s greatest wines. The Pie Franco comes from the oldest vineyard (about 75 years old) on the property, La Solana. Solana is noted for its sandy soils that are phylloxera resistant but not completely immune and each year a few vines succomb to the disease which combined with the low yields means that there is very little Pie Franco to go around. For many years this cuvée was only available in Europe but recently a small amount has been made available to us. A pre-fermentation maceration proceeds fermentation in stone lagars after which the wine is racked into neutral 500 liter French oak demi-muids where it ages for 16 to 18 months.
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesI often think that the Pie Franco from Casa Castillo cannot improve much more, but the 2017 Pie Franco has done it again, taking this pure Monastrell from ungrafted old vines to a new level, reflecting the sun and limestone of the estate, combining power and elegance. I found all of the 2017s deliciously perfumed and floral, and this is no exception. It’s a wine with lots of inner power, gobsmacking balance and probably the highest aging potential of all the wines they produce. It has a refined, silky and chalky texture, great purity and supple flavors. It’s superbly balanced and harmonious, not reflecting any heat but truly Mediterranean at heart. Vintages like that don’t have to be roasted, unless you have a year like 2003 when the temperature didn’t go down at night, because in the rest of the years, temperatures drop at night. It was bottled in early March 2019 after 16 months in 500-liter oak barrels.
The Roch family acquired the property in 1941. Julia Roch and her grandson, José Maria Vicente, have been recovering the artisanal origins of this estate, making significant strides in the integrity and quality of winemaking.
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!
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.