Torre Castillo is a family owned winery run by Julian Lopez Lizan. It is located in Montealegre del Castillo, 800 feet above sea level, in the extreme southeast of the province of Albacete, in the heart of the D.O. Jumilla. The family built a new cellar in 1996 and got new equipment that allowed them to take advantage of the most modern techniques to produce high quality wine. Also, they own 700 oak barrels. After spending two years experimenting with two different vineyards, they had their first harvest in 1997 and released their first vintage in 2000. They started to export their wines in 2003. The export market keeps growing and now represents 60%. The winery has 100 hectares (247 acres) under vine.
The Jumilla D.O. includes the municipality of Jumilla plus the contiguous southeast of the Albacete province (Montealegre del Castillo, Fuente-Álamo, Ontur, Hellin, Albatana and Tobarra) in the Castile-La Mancha region.
• Acreage: 32,000 hectares under vine; 45% in Murcia and 55% in Albacete
• Growers: Around 3,000 grape-growers registered
• Grape Varieties:
Red - Monastrell, Tempranillo (known locally as Cencibel), Garnacha Tintorera, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot.
Monastrell represents over 85% of the plantings and is the 3rd most widely planted grape in Spain.
White - Airén, Macabeo, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Moscatel, Pedro Ximénez and Malvasía.
The climate is continental with predominantly westerly dry winds. The winters, with numerous frosts, are very cold while the summers are hot and dry, with a striking contrast between day and night temperatures.
