Collection: Castilla-La Mancha

Geography: The autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha forms the southernmost part of the central 'meseta', the plateau that stretches over a large part of central Spain. The region's boundaries are formed by rivers and mountains: the Tagus in the north (towards Madrid) and the Guadiana in the south, towards Andalusia. There are mountain ranges along all four sides including the Sierra de Cuenca, Loma de Chiclana, Sierra Mestanza, ... The region comprises five provinces: Albacete, Ciudad Real, Toledo, Guadalajara en Cuenca. The altitude of the plateau varies from 500 to 700 metres. Characteristic of the area are vast plains with mountains in the far distance.

Climate: Castilla-La Mancha is Spain at its most extreme: long, cold winters with whole weeks of frost. And temperatures up to 40°C in the summer. There is mostly not a single drop of rainfall between May and September, which incidentally makes the use of spray agents in the vineyards mostly superfluous. If you ask the typical Castilla-La Mancha resident to describe the climate, you will be given the uncompromising answer: 'Nine months of winter and three months of hell' ...

Winemaking: Castilla-La Mancha on its own accounts for about 50% of Spain's total wine production. The region comprises more than 600,000 hectares of vineyard. In La Mancha alone, there are about 250,000 hectares of Airén, making it the world's most widely planted white grape, and yet it is still completely unknown ... As mentioned, the region is a data sheet of everything that can possibly occur in Spanish wine legislation. It comprises various D.O.s (Denominación de Origen) such as Ribera del Jucár, La Mancha, Valdepeñas, Alamansa, Méntrida, ... Furthermore, there are some Vinos de Pago, the highest rank in the Spanish wine hierarchy - i.e. Dehesa del Carrizal - and there are Vinos de la Tierra, Vinos de Mesa (table wine), and wines without denomination ... Additionally, there are ongoing discussions about classification and quality, of Vinos de Pago, for example, or the changes in the organisation of the D.O.s, etc. ... You'll understand that it isn't always easy to provide a complete and accurate overview. 

A quiet revolution has been underway in Castilla-La Mancha since the 1980s. Through investments in modern vinification techniques and the arrival of young, promising oenologists, the region has been able to distance itself from its reputation as a producer of bulk wines. Nowadays it makes not only cheap-yet-good wines, but also top-cuvées. Both have found their way on to the export market.

Airén remains the most widely planted white grape in the area. It is also used for making the distillate that serves as the base for Brandy de Jerez. Tempranillo (known locally as Cencibél) is the most important black grape. But also Garnacha, Bobal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Monsatrell are getting more and more attention.

From Xpertvinum: Bodegas Dehesa del Carrizal, Bodegas Mano a Mano

© Photo: Dehesa del Carrizal