18 May 2022 New praise for Monastrell in English reference guide.
Jancis Robinson confirms it in “All about Monastrell”
The English wine guide under the name of the journalist Jancis Robinson, one of the most important wine publications in the world, has just confirmed the elegance of “the stylistic revolution towards wines of terroir”, the so-called monastrell “New World Style” of the DOP Alicante in an article dedicated to the monastrell variety.
Ferran Centelles, Spanish correspondent for the Jancis Robinson page, visits the vineyards and winemakers, drawing special attention to the excellence, for example, of “Triga” from Bodegas Volver, in which he highlights “the creaminess on the palate due to the extraordinary mastery of sweet tannins.”
Among his favorites, “El Sequé 2019” to which he gives a score of 18 (maximum score 20) and “Las Quebradas” by Enrique Mendoza with 17 points.
He profiles the area of Alto Vinalopó as the area of the most elegant Monastrell wines, where he praises the Mediterranean style of Casa Agrícola’s “El Veneno”, awarding it 17 points. The article indicates that this area, with its sandy soils, produces some of the best monastrells and points out that the area around Pinoso is “emblematic”.
He mentions that the “fabulous” Fondillón is also born from this variety and that although the article is not written about this unique wine, he cannot avoid mentioning it, remembering its “magnificence” (in a previous article he gave his highest score to “Fondillón Brotons 1964” for the first time).
After tasting 72 references of what is considered to be the heart of the Monastrell variety, the summary adds another milestone to the growing interest in these wines at an international level.
Alicante references mentioned in the article:
Bodegas Alejandro, Arbui 2018 Alicante 15.5 points
Bodegas y viñedos El Sequé, El Sequé 2019 Alicante 18 points
Bocopa, Fuego Lento Viticultura Extrema 2018 Alicante 14.5 points
Finca Collado, Delit Plaer de Monastrell 2018 Alicante 15 points
Vins del Comtat, 1921 Monastrell 2017 Alicante 15 points
MG Wines, Mira Salinas 2017 Alicante 16 points
Enrique Mendoza, Las Quebradas Monastrell 2018 Alicante 17 points
Enrique Mendoza, Estrecho Monastrell 2018 Alicante 17.5 points
Enrique Mendoza, Finca Xaconero Monastrell 2017 Alicante 15.5 points
Pepe Mendoza Casa Agrícola, El Veneno Monastrell 2018 Alicante 17 points
Sierra de Cabreras, Carabibas La Viña del Carpintero 2018 Alicante 16.5 points
Vinessens, El Telar 2017 Alicante 16 points
Bodegas Volver, Triga 2017 Alicante 17.5 points
Link to original article: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/all-about-monastrell