A great viticultural terroir with a unique characteristic
Our vineyards are nestled on the slopes of the Sierra Morena at 650 meters above sea level, with a continental climate and annual rainfall of 400 mm.
In this unique and distinctive setting, with its singular soils, several hectares of vineyards are grown -mainly Tempranillo, as well as some Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay
The vineyard lies on medium-basic soil, generally poor in limestone, a sandy-loam matrix mixed with volcanic matter. This distinguishing quality makes it a great viticultural terroir. On the one hand, the slight basicity naturally limits the plant’s nutrition and vigor. In a moderately basic soil, the plant is subjected to certain stress, mainly nutritional stress in terms of assimilation of minerals and trace elements; however, as there is no significant concentration of active limestone in our soil, this stress is limited, and the plant is able to feed on the mineral richness of our volcanic soil, producing concentrated grapes with plenty of fruity aromas, balanced acidity and with their very own mineral character.
The estate is located in the Jabalón river valley, the heart of Calatrava’s volcanic area. Here we can find the relief of extinct volcanoes, maars, lava flows or mud domes, which greatly contribute to the distinctive composition of its soils.
“In the Montanchuelos estate, the area’s volcanism is clearly present thanks to the abundant and widespread occurrence of pyroclasts, which are mixed in the soil with the local substratum. They are particularly evident in the section that is in contact with the quartzites of the southern hill chain, where they form densely integrated pebbles and gravels as a result of anthropogenic activity. The omnipresence of volcanic material, resulting from explosive eruptions, is a regular feature in all these soils”.1 “Its presence, primarily as gravel and sand, with partial degradation, makes these soils well-ventilated and mineralised.”2
An extremely rare soil with unique characteristics that is found only in two small regions of the Iberian Peninsula: The Campo de Calatrava and Olot.