ARCHIVED - Grape harvest is underway in Jumilla, accelerated by recent high temperatures
The harvest in Jumilla is spread across three months due to the range of varieties grown and the layout of the vineyards
The extremely high temperatures of recent weeks, with several days above 40 ° C and very hot nights, have accelerated the ripening of the earliest varieties of grapes cultivated in the DO Jumilla zone, as a result of which, harvesting of grapes has begun earlier than normal for some varieties in the north and north-west of the Murcia region.
The harvest is already underway in some plots of the Cañada del Judío area in the south of the Jumilla DO with plots of white varieties and early red varieties such as Garnacha and Syrah the first to reach an optimal state of maturity.
The territory of the Jumilla DO offers a varied orography, with plots at different altitudes, enabling the coexistence of early varieties together with others which have a longer cycle.
The vineyards are mainly rain fed and much of the planting is done in the traditional “wineglass” or copa format, principally because 70 per cent of the total cultivation in the Jumilla Denomination of Origin, is the Monastrell variety.
This results in one of the hardest and longest harvests in Spain, since these peculiarities mean that the harvest must be gathered entirely by hand, spread across a 3 month period, and concluding with the collection of the long-cycle varieties in the northernmost part of the territory, and the late Monastrell grapes used to make sweet wines.
Although the volume of sweet Monastrell wines represents just a tiny percentage of the total production of the DO, it is well worth sampling when visiting the vineyards, with a deep, rich flavour, making it the perfect partner for desserts or as an aperitif.
It is estimated that this season grape production will be slightly lower than last year, mainly due to some localized outbreaks of mildew and the desiccation of some bunches due to the extreme heat recorded on the hottest days of summer; this year the region broke its own temperature records and the Altiplano was consistently amongst the hottest areas of the region.
Despite this, the Regulatory Council has already indicated that the grapes of the 2021 harvest are generally of very good organoleptic quality and are anticipating some memorable wines from this harvest.
The production area of the Jumilla DO is made up of 7 areas distributed between southern Albacete and the Murcian Altiplano, integrating 39 certified wineries and some 1,700 winegrowers. Most make wines from certified organic crops, so both the quantity and the final quality of the harvest will depend, in addition to the circumstances that have occurred so far, on how the agronomic conditions of the crop evolve in this final phase of ripening of the grapes.
Click for information about visiting the bodegas of Jumilla within the Ruta del Vino de Jumilla, all of which are open for visits and sell their own wines directly. Bullas and Yecla are also home to a number of wineries offering tours of their installations. Click for Bullas wineries and Yecla wineries or click for all three Murcian wine routes.