Background

Hacienda del Carche's modern new winery was built in 2006, although the family’s tradition of winemaking dates back to the 19th century. Vineyards and olive groves are the body and soul of this land of sun covering 60 hectares (150 acres) of the estate. Some of the vineyards are more than fifty years old and some were planted more recently. Native Monastrell as well as Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache grapes are used for the production of their red wines, and Macabeo, Sauvignon Blanc and Airén for their white wines. The wines are the explosion of contrasts that constitutes the profound essence of this region.

Jumilla is located in the southeast of Spain, in the northern region of Murcia, and has an altitude of 550m (1800ft) above sea level. The soil is brown and limey, with great water capacity and medium permeability which allows the vines to subsist through lengthy drought conditions. It is a continental climate, influenced by the proximity of the Mediterranean, as well as a sunny and dry place where the sun shines 3,000 hours a year and rain is scarce. The vineyards comprise non-irrigated and irrigated fields, grafted and non-grafted vines in various terrains and climates. This gives them the ability to select the best grapes from each vineyard for their final destination, the wine they will become.

The winery has been built along modern lines and with noble materials, such as Villa Mayor natural stone, marble and wood. These materials have been combined to maintain the year-round interior temperature that is ideal for the production of wines of unmistakable personality. The winery has been equipped with the most modern winemaking systems. This allows the winemaker to obtain complex, harmonic and modern wines without losing the identity of the land.