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Buy Wine from Bodegas Olivares
On the sunny high plateau of the north of Jumilla where the scarcity of rainfall is not an inconvenience but an inheritance, Bodegas Olivares cultivates one of the most unique interpretations of Monastrell in eastern Spain. Founded on a vision of respect for the old vines and the identity of the soil, this family winery, with roots dating back to the early 20th century, understands that it is not a matter of dominating nature, but of letting the place speak clearly, even with a certain harshness.
Old vines, poor soils and high altitude
The backbone of the project is a vineyard planted in 1930, ungrafted, on poor soils of sand, lime and limestone at an altitude of 825 metres. An unusual combination: altitude, extreme dryness and a variety, the Monastrell, which offers natural concentration without artifice in the cellar. Small bunches, thick skins, scarce pulp. This frugal balance hides a richness that can only be revealed with patience.
The aim here is not to make "big" wine at all costs. Olivares is a declaration of principles. Its Monastrell from old vines is not a caricature of concentration, but a way of understanding time: dry black fruit, dark spices, liquorice and an earthy mineral background. There is no irrigation, by law and by conviction. The roots sink in search of water and find history.
Dulce Monastrell - The soul without make-up
But if there is one wine that represents the soul of the winery, it is its Olivares Dulce Monastrell. It is a naturally sweet wine, with no dressing up, no make-up. The grapes are harvested when the calendar does not allow it, at the end of October or even November. The raisining takes place on the vine itself. The result: dried fig, leather, black plum, rosemary and bitter cocoa, all supported by a firm acidity. Few sweet wines in the world achieve this balance of concentration and freshness without technological intervention. It is the bottled field.
Minimal intervention, maximum listening
In winemaking, the philosophy of Paco Selva, the third generation of the family, is clear: minimum intervention. Fermentations with indigenous yeasts and ageing in cement, stainless steel or used barrels, depending on what is to be emphasised. Each vintage is listened to, not forced. Paco sums it up: "Our job is not to build a style, but to not get in the way of what the vineyard proposes". And this, in an area where the sun tends to homogenise, is almost an act of resistance.
Unlike other areas in the southeast, where Monastrell has become a repeated formula, Olivares explores its vertical dimension, its capacity to excite beyond volume. Even their more affordable wines, such as the Monastrell Rosé or their young un-oaked red, show that agricultural sincerity that reminds us that before the label there is a real field, with real stones, with real heat and thirst.
From Jumilla to the world, without concessions
In recent years, Olivares has attracted the attention of sommeliers and collectors from all over the world. Not for following trends, but for going in the opposite direction. The paradox is revealing: a sweet wine from a rustic variety, in a semi-arid area, without fashions or make-up, turned into a cult wine. It is celebrated in Copenhagen, New York or Tokyo as what it is: an uncompromising testimony of a viticulture that refuses to be domesticated.
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19.10€
18.14€/ud (-5%)
Parker94
Buy Wine from Bodegas Olivares
On the sunny high plateau of the north of Jumilla where the scarcity of rainfall is not an inconvenience but an inheritance, Bodegas Olivares cultivates one of the most unique interpretations of Monastrell in eastern Spain. Founded on a vision of respect for the old vines and the identity of the soil, this family winery, with roots dating back to the early 20th century, understands that it is not a matter of dominating nature, but of letting the place speak clearly, even with a certain harshness.
Old vines, poor soils and high altitude
The backbone of the project is a vineyard planted in 1930, ungrafted, on poor soils of sand, lime and limestone at an altitude of 825 metres. An unusual combination: altitude, extreme dryness and a variety, the Monastrell, which offers natural concentration without artifice in the cellar. Small bunches, thick skins, scarce pulp. This frugal balance hides a richness that can only be revealed with patience.
The aim here is not to make "big" wine at all costs. Olivares is a declaration of principles. Its Monastrell from old vines is not a caricature of concentration, but a way of understanding time: dry black fruit, dark spices, liquorice and an earthy mineral background. There is no irrigation, by law and by conviction. The roots sink in search of water and find history.
Dulce Monastrell - The soul without make-up
But if there is one wine that represents the soul of the winery, it is its Olivares Dulce Monastrell. It is a naturally sweet wine, with no dressing up, no make-up. The grapes are harvested when the calendar does not allow it, at the end of October or even November. The raisining takes place on the vine itself. The result: dried fig, leather, black plum, rosemary and bitter cocoa, all supported by a firm acidity. Few sweet wines in the world achieve this balance of concentration and freshness without technological intervention. It is the bottled field.
Minimal intervention, maximum listening
In winemaking, the philosophy of Paco Selva, the third generation of the family, is clear: minimum intervention. Fermentations with indigenous yeasts and ageing in cement, stainless steel or used barrels, depending on what is to be emphasised. Each vintage is listened to, not forced. Paco sums it up: "Our job is not to build a style, but to not get in the way of what the vineyard proposes". And this, in an area where the sun tends to homogenise, is almost an act of resistance.
Unlike other areas in the southeast, where Monastrell has become a repeated formula, Olivares explores its vertical dimension, its capacity to excite beyond volume. Even their more affordable wines, such as the Monastrell Rosé or their young un-oaked red, show that agricultural sincerity that reminds us that before the label there is a real field, with real stones, with real heat and thirst.
From Jumilla to the world, without concessions
In recent years, Olivares has attracted the attention of sommeliers and collectors from all over the world. Not for following trends, but for going in the opposite direction. The paradox is revealing: a sweet wine from a rustic variety, in a semi-arid area, without fashions or make-up, turned into a cult wine. It is celebrated in Copenhagen, New York or Tokyo as what it is: an uncompromising testimony of a viticulture that refuses to be domesticated.