Jumilla wine route, Bodegas Juan Gil

Four generations of Juan Gil have created one of the best known wineries in Jumilla

Bodegas Juan Gil, or Gil Family Estates, is one of the best known wineries in the Denomination of Origin of Jumilla, and has steadily built up an enviable reputation since Juan Gil Jiménez built the first bodega and celebrated his first grape harvest in 1916. Maintaining the family name, the business has passed down from father to son ever since, first to Juan Gil Guerrero, then to Juan Gil González and now to the fourth generation, who have overseen the incorporation of new technology the likes of which their great-grandfather could not possibly have envisaged.

An interesting twist to the family tale is that when Juan Gil González he left behind him 9 children aged between 8 and 25. At that point his widow decided to close the winery while keeping the vineyards, fearing that the elder children could be tempted to exclude their young siblings from the family business, and in many ways this matriarchal and protective attitude shown by this lady, who died as recently as 2015, embodies the soul of the venture. The group's winery in La Rioja is named Rosario Vera in her honour.

This is among various wineries now owned in the main wine-producing areas of Spain by the Juan Gil Family Estates Group: apart from the Denominations of Origin of Jumilla and La Rioja, others produced by the group include Almansa, Calatayud, Montsant, Rueda, Castilla y León, Rías Baixas and Borja.

Above all the descendants of Juan Gil Jiménez remain true to the belief that the key to their wine-making lies both in the quality of the grapes and in the hostile climatic conditions of Jumilla, combining the intense sunlight of the baking summer with long, cold winters and daily temperature variations of up to 25 degrees. These features and the extremely dry conditions lead to dry and stony soil, but on the other hand this apparently barren landscape can be very fertile if properly nurtured, and marks the character of both the local people and the wines of Jumilla.

The vineyards of Bodegas Juan Gil in Jumilla are at between 700 and 850 metres above sea level, where the terrain is typically hostile and has low levels of natural nutrients. However, these are perfect conditions for the hardy Monastrell strain of grape, and as is the case throughout Jumilla this is the dominant variety, occupying 32 hectares, although Syrah (1.8 hectares), Cabernet Sauvignon (12 hectares), Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes are also grown.

The oldest Monastrell vines on the land owned by the winery are between 85 and 90 years old, and their fruit is used to create the top-of-the-range products. Like the other grapes used in the wines at this bodega, they are all hand-picked during a "vendimia" (or picking season which can last from early August to late November, due to the different varieties cultivated.

All of the vineyards owned by Bodegas Juan Gil in the La Aragona area of Jumilla are around the winery, although grapes are also supplied by around 150 other viticulturalists in the municipality.

The winery itself, of course, is very different from the one created by Juan Gil Jiménez over a century ago. High technology is brought to bear in areas such as temperature control and hygiene in order to ensure top quality at all times, and exhaustive monitoring of the vineyards is carried out all year round with the same aim in mind.

Efficiency is the watchword but always with the aim being to achieve the highest possible quality within certain parameters, and this is reflected in the differences between the three rooms of stainless steel containers in which the wine ferments. The largest of these is used to produce the "crianza" wines - those which mature for the shortest time - and features larger tanks in which some degree of automation is involved in caring for and monitoring the development of the product. 

However, in the second and third rooms the tanks are smaller and the degree of manual intervention extends even to the pumping over (in which the liquid at the bottom is redistributed to the top). This is the case, for example, of the "Etiqueta Azul" wine (see below).

Particular importance is also given to the French and American oak barrels used in the maturing process, with no barrel ever exceeding a working life of five years. In fact, for the higher range products brand new barrels are acquired every year at a cost of around 80 euros each, and these are then "recycled" for the production process of more inexpensive wines such as Nido and Clio.

Such is the attention to detail during the bottling process is that the room in which the wine is decanted into bottles is sealed off in high pressure conditions when being used in order to avoid any contamination from outside!

Wines

At all of the wineries forming part of the Juan Gil group throughout Spain annual production reaches over 8 million bottles (of which around 70 per cent are exported, mainly to the USA), and the wines produced in Jumilla are the following:

Juan Gil Dry Muscat: this white wine is made from the vineyards of Moscatel de Grano Menudo (small grain muscat) which are located on gently sloping hillsides at 700 metres above sea level.

Honoro Vera Monastrell: made with Monastrell grapes from vineyards planted on non-irrigated limestone soil with few nutrients, this red wine has a high aromatic intensity fruit concentration. Pleasant and easy to drink, it is prefect with light salads, stews, pasta, mushrooms,charcuterie, white or blue fish, creamy cheeses and goat cheese. Serve at between 16 and 18 degrees.

Honoro Vera Organic: a similar product to Honoro Vera Monastrell, but made using grapes from organic vineyards in accordance with the rules of both the European Union and the United States.

Juan Gil Blue Label: made mostly with Monastrell grapes from vines over 40 years old, and with very low grape yields, this wine also contains Cabernet-Sauvignon and Syrah grapes to create a concentrated and complex product. Aged for 18 months in carefully selected French and American oak barrels.

Juan Gil Yellow Label: again, Monastrell grapes are used to produce this wine, which is briefly aged in French and American oak barrels.

Juan Gil Silver Label: a Monastrell red aged in French oak barrels and then stored in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling. Best served at under 15ºC.

Other wines made from the grapes grown in the vineyards of Jumilla are sold under the following brands:

Clio: Monastrell grapes from very old vines dominate in a combination with Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes are harvested with small baskets to prevent bruising, and all bunches are brought to triage tables where the best are selected. Aged for 24 months in new French and American oak barrels.

Corteo: 100% Syrah grapes aged for 30 months in new French oak barrels.

El Nido: Mainly produced with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (70%), complemented with Monastrell. Aged for 24 months in new French and American oak barrels.

Juan Gil Family Estates also produces a variety of wines in other parts of Spain and belonging to Denominations of Origin other than Jumilla.

Visiting Bodegas Juan Gil

Guided visits lasting around 2 hours are normally held from Monday to Saturday at 10.30 (or 11.00 during the winter in order to avoid the worst of the cold), and must be reserved beforehand either by email or by telephone in order to make arrangements for specific group sizes, timings, etc.

Tours can be conducted in Spanish, English, French and Russian, although in general those in languages other than Spanish are not available on Saturdays.

Standard visits include a tour of the premises, including the vineyards, the storage vats and the barrel room, explanations of the wine-making process and a short history of the Juan Gil group, and end with a tasting of three wines along with a small aperitif.

The price is set at 8 euros per head, and there is no minimum group size.

However, a gastronomic visit including lunch is also offered for groups of 20 people or more. A range of set menus are available for between 36 and 53 euros per person, prices which include the guided tour and four wines paired with the different courses supplied (up to nine of them!)

How to reach Bodegas Juan Gil

The winery is located in the Valle de la Aragona, 10 kilometres north of Jumilla on the MU-11A road: if approaching from Jumilla leave town on the Carretera de Yecla, cross the bridge over the N-344 road (those approaching from elsewhere should leave the dual carriageway at kilometre 71, signposted Fuente Álamo and Jumilla) and continue northwards.

After approximately 6 km the winery is signposted to the left, and it is then another 3 kilometres or so to the destination: click for map.

Address: Paraje de la Aragona, Carretera de Fuente Álamo, 30520 Jumilla (Murcia)

GPS: North 38º 33′ 47” West 1º 21′ 1”.

The onsite shop opens on weekdays from 9.30 to 13.30 and 15.30 to 19.00.

For details of winery visits contact 968 110 149 or email visitas@gilfamily.es / info@juangil.es

For more information about visiting Jumilla, including what's on, local news and all of the bodegas on the Jumilla wine route, visit the home page of Jumilla Today.