Casa Castillo´s terroir

The terroir of Casa Castillo is conditioned by the harshness of its climate. Composed of calcareous sand resulting from the erosion of the bedrock and covered by limestone gravel of marine origin when the Mediterranean Sea flooded these lands. The different plots occupy the northern slopes of the Sierra de El Molar.

The arid climate with barely 350mm of rain per year together with its almost 4,000 hours of sunshine provides excellent conditions for organic and 100% ecological cultivation. The location is in the heart of the Jumilla plateau at 700 meters above sea level. It contributes to the enormous thermal jump in temperatures between day and night, slowing down the ripening processes of the grapes and perfectly completing the vegetative cycle.

All of the grapes for Casa Castillo's wines are grown on the estate, with 420 hectares of surface, of which 170 hectares are dedicated to vineyards, occupying the most favorable soils and orientations. The native Monastrell variety, together with Grenache and Syrah are grown traditionally in dry land and bush vines, with very low yields, forming the trio of varieties ideal for the profile of our wines. Almond and olive trees interspersed among the vineyards complete this Mediterranean mosaic, rich in biodiversity, contributing to the conservation of the landscape and the environment.

In 1941, after the civil war, Mr. José Sánchez-Cerezo acquired the Casa Castillo Estate, which he used as a base of operations to transport and store large quantities of wood, esparto grass, and aromatic herbs that he used for trade and processing. At the same time, he began to plant and cultivate small plots of vines whose production was sold to other wineries in the area.

In 1960, with the appearance of plastic in Spain, the trade in plant fibers and wood collapsed. This is when the greatest development of agriculture began at Finca Casa Castillo, also encouraged by the appearance of agricultural machinery, which began to expand its vineyard, almond, olive, and cereal plantations. Until now everything is destined for sale to other wineries and merchants.

It would not be until 1991 when Mr. Nemesio Vicente Vicente, husband of Mr. José Sánchez-Cerezo's daughter and father of the current owners, proposed rebuilding the old winery that was disused to make wines from the grapes grown there. Thus, the Casa Castillo Winery was born with a clear and concise spirit: to give added value to agricultural production and recover the history and nobility of an ancestral variety like Monastrell.

Currently, it is Guillermina, Julia, Marisol, and José Maria Vicente Sánchez-Cerezo, along with a great team, both in the field and in the winery, who run the property and preserve their grandfather's legacy. Faithful to traditional cultivation and production practices, they have managed to give Casa Castillo wines their personality and typicity, currently recognized in all corners of the world.

The harvest begins at the beginning of September with the Syrah variety, followed by Grenache and Monastrell, until mid-October. After a double selection, both in the vineyard and in the winery, the grapes are cooled in a cold room to 14ºC and then processed.

Fermentation with native yeasts is very traditional, with part of whole bunches. Short macerations and high fermentation temperatures guarantee the correct conduct of the process. The wines finish in used 500-liter barrels where they undergo malolactic fermentation and remain on their lees until spring, at which time they are transferred to 5,000-liter foudres to mature for an additional 12 months before bottling.