It was a case of ‘From Jumilla with Love’ when the Moraira-Teulada U3A wine group gathered for their October tasting.
Six wines – two whites, a rosado and three reds – were presented for our approval by Bodegas Bleda in Jumilla.
The delightful Maria Ríos, assisted by colleague Juan Fran, made yet another return to Bar Mediterráneo with some of the bodega’s most popular wines , which she assured club members were from vines “grown with our love”.
The reds and rosado were predominantly from the indigenous Monastrell grape which flourishes in the arid Jumilla region.
The pleasant rosado was pale in colour, following a trend among a growing number of Spanish vineyards to recreate the light colour of French rosé rather than the deeper colour of old. The whites were pleasing, but neither was quite dry enough for this taster’s palate.
Clear winner on the night, among the 80 members , old and new, was the Pino Doncel Black, a full-bodied 2018 vintage blend of Monastrell, Syrah and Petit Verdot.
At the end of the evening there was a rush to buy cases before stocks ran out and for once it was not the most expensive wine which won the plaudits.
Our thanks once again to group leaders Pat and Brian Clarke for organising a most enjoyable evening.
Review by Ian Graham, Photos by Jan Adams