AWM Exclusive Best Buy
The Cr Gold is back! This was one of the best finds from my trip to Spain earlier in the year and I’m delighted to report that another 20 cases will be arriving Monday. This exclusive AWM Hand-Picked Selection comes directly to a North Carolina importer and distributor and then right to me. This cuts out all of the “middlemen” that inflate the price, allowing me to pass the savings on to you!
The Jumilla D.O.P.
Jumilla has a rich winemaking history going back to Greek and Roman times. The area is located two-thirds of the way down Spain’s east coast and ranges from the northern tip of Murcia and as far south as the Castile La Mancha DOP.
There are close to forty thousand hectares under vine in Jumilla, 80% of which are planted in Monastrell, (known as Mourvèdre in France). The region is a transitional zone between the Mediterranean coastal area and the high central plateau of Castilla La Mancha. This diverse terrain features wide valleys, mountains, and plateaus with vineyard altitudes that can vary from 1200 to 2600 feet above sea level. The dark, brown, lime-rich soils sport a hard lime crust, providing ideal growing conditions for Monastrell and Syrah.
The Valero Family
The Valero family is native to Jumilla with winemaking roots dating back generations. As a native, winemaker Gabriel Martínez Valero has a special focus on the region and has been an avid practitioner of organic farming and winemaking methodology, continuing his family’s long tradition. The Valero family is thought to have been one of the first to export Monastrell to France in the mid-1800s when phylloxera was devastating the French vineyards. French vignerons instantly bonded with the grape and named it Mourvèdre after the Mediterranean town of Morvedro (Morverdre in the local Valenciano dialect), the wine’s port of export to France.
Cr Gold vineyard in Jumilla -Arid conditions along with lime-crusted soil add up to excellent Monastrell
In your glass…
This warm and inviting red offers a distinct Spanish take on one of the top grapes of the red wine world — at a give-away price. Get this gem in your glass and you’ll be treated to a nose filled with classic blackberry and black cherry fruit, as well as subtle oak spice. It’s delightfully fruit forward right when you pull the cork, offering a big hit of blackberry and vanilla on the palate. Give it a quick decant or 15-20 minutes in the glass you’ll be rewarded with mounting layers of dusty plum, black cherry, roasted coffee, and licorice. Thanks to 5 months in French and American oak barrels it’s framed by just the right amount of oak spice.
Enjoy this hedonistic red on its own without food, however, it will certainly shine with beef and lamb — whether grilled, roasted or braised.
From Wine Enthusiast:
Powerful blackberry aromas are matched by creamy oak. This Monastrell-Syrah blend is a driller, with strong tannins and more than enough body weight. Oaky flavors of dark-berry fruits and black plums finish with vanilla and lactic notes. This is rock solid from head to toe; drink through 2021.
Everyday Shelf price: $14.99 per bottle
Save 10% by the 6-pack and 15% by the case