THE VINEYARD COLLECTION BRUMA DEL ESTRECHO DE MARÍN
This exceptional project is the personal brainchild of Elena Pacheco and Isio Ramos aimed at making 100% Monastrell wines from select DO Jumilla vineyards.
Using vineyard husbandry and winemaking techniques acquired from local viticulturists, they skilfully craft their wines to reach their full expression with regard to microclimate, soil, location, and the age of the vines.
THE 2015 VINTAGE
The project’s foundations are firmly rooted in two vinos de paraje (wines from micro-plots): Marín and Las Chozas (in the south and in the north of DO Jumilla, respectively) and four regular-sized plots: Mandiles, Navajuelos, Vereda and Particiones. Given the dynamism of our project, the 2015 vintage includes wines from two new plots, Vereda and Particiones, and excludes Finca El Calvario.
A wine is defined by the powerful influence of the climate. As a result, there will always be years in which the character of the vineyard cannot be defined or marked – if this happens then those plots are not used to make wine that year. Each individual Monastrell plot produces a wine that has its very own marked, personal character – distinct from other plots, whether due to its location, altitude, age of the vines, type of soil, viticulture, etc. And this is what we want our wines to express – honest wines – if a plot doesn’t live up to expectations in any given year then we don’t use its grapes to make our wines. Because we aim to get the best out of our plots, we actively collaborate with our viticulturists in their daily work in order to control the outcome.
For us, it’s paramount that the different soils (sandy, rocky, and chalky), the age of the vineyard, the altitude, and whether the grapes come from a colder or warmer region can all be appreciated when our wines are tasted. We want our wines to express the characteristics that make them unique, in all their glory. That’s why some of them spend very little time in oak. We only age wines that show outstanding potential, and then just enough not to mask any distinctive features.
THE SOILS
DO Jumilla’s soils are extremely diverse, with perhaps the most abundant type being rocky, chalky soils which give rise to warm, robust wines. However, the DO also boasts sandy soils with good drainage that, given their greater elasticity, confer greater freshness and sophistication to the wines. These more delicate, less robust wines boast more elegant nuances, which is the best and most surprising aspect about a well-crafted Monastrell, without the need to over-ripen the grapes or to make an excessively robust, sweet or heavy wine. The aim being to produce balanced nuances, good acidity, refreshing fruitiness, and not-so-mature wines that aficionados go back to and enjoy drinking again and again.
THE ARCHITECTS BEHIND THE PROJECT
ELENA PACHECO:
Elena was born in Jumilla in April 1973. She studied economics at university until she decided to take charge of the family bodega; a decision that would change the course of her career and lead her to specialise in Viticulture and Oenology and to obtain a Master’s Degree in Viticulture, Oenology and Wine Marketing.
She has spent most of her life moving between Jumilla and the Estrecho de Marín, where the family-run bodega, founded by her grandfather in 1948 and now run by Elena, is located. Her passion and love for the Monastrell grape, the distinctive essence of Jumilla, and her enthusiasm for making premium wines from the variety, was inherited from her predecessors. Elena’s experience in the wine industry spans more than twenty years. Currently, she also runs the agricultural society, Casa de los Ardachos, which is primarily dedicated to olives, almonds and vineyards, and manages more than 200 hectares of her own property.
ISIO RAMOS:
Isio was born in Santiago de la Ribera in September 1974. He has been dedicated to wine distribution since 2004 and has been a member of theWine & Spirit Education Trust since 2006. Although his passion for wine came late in the day, his perseverance, enterprising spirit and interest have turned him into an expert wine connoisseur and taster.
After many years of collaborating with Elena in her Asia project, they developed the idea of collaborating in a project to make wines from Monastrell boasting an “unmasked” identity. Wines that express the region they are from, with a marked style fashioned by both Elena and Isio’s understanding of wine.
This project adds another dimension to their respective careers in their quest for continued learning and giving back a little of what the wine industry has given them: friendship, passion, knowledge, and sacrifice.