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El Campeador - Syrah Monastrell

2022
Blend
35% Monastrell
5% Petite Verdot
60% Syrah
Country
Spain
Region
Jumilla
UPC
0 15643 80872 2
Red Wine
Verified Stock
97346-22
Product Ratings
James Suckling 90pt

Brambly and fruity nose full of ripe cherries, nicely baked berries, grilled herbs and spices. Ripe and giving on the palate with fleshy, generous fruit and firm tannins. Drink now.

by James Suckling, 2023

Tasting notes

Grown in desert-like conditions, at an altitude of up to 900m, our ancient bush vines produce deeply-flavored fruit of enviable richness and aromatic intensity. The time in oak adds hints of vanilla and mocha to the dark mass of concentrated black fruits. Wrapped in a smooth and velvety texture, this blend of Syrah and Monastrell is delicious on its own and makes a great match for fillet steak, spicy buffalo wings, grilled vegetables and mature cheeses and all kinds of barbecue.

Description

To guarantee the survival of our ancient vines, our farmers use the marcottage replanting system: When a vine reaches the end of its long lifecycle, we take a branch of an adjacent vine and introduce it to the soil. We then guide the branch so that it emerges where the dead vine used to be. The branch remains connected to the origin vine for some years, until its roots are strong enough to keep growing on its own. This is a vital system, practically extinct due to its high costs and slow process, that we use to ensure the continuity of our original and historic vines.

Vineyard

The vineyards are situated around the small town of Jumilla, in the southern Spanish province of Murcia. Our Syrah vines were planted at an altitude of between 650m and 700m, while our 110- year-old Monastrell vineyard sits at around 900m and pre-dates the great phylloxera attack that devastated the region`s viticulture in the early 20th century. This world-renowned wineproducing region enjoys year-round sunshine and scant rainfall, producing miniscule, low-yielding vines that develop intensely fruit-forward and richly aromatic grapes.

Vinification

The healthiest grapes were picked by hand in early November. Maceration took place in 250hl temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Alcoholic and ML fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks. Our Syrah was aged for three months in French and American oak barrels. This adds subtle layers of smooth toasty mocha, while maintaining optimum freshness of the natural fruit-driven characteristics of the grapes.