Murcia Flashcards
Murcia is bordered by?
E: Valencia
NW: Castilla-La Mancha
SW: Andalucía
S: Mediterranean 170km
How many provinces in Murcia?
One
(one of seven uniprovincial autonomous communities in Spain)
Capital, largest city in Murcia?
Murcia (441k 30%)
Climate of Murcia?
At the coast: Mediterranean
Becoming more continental inland
What are summer and winter temperatures like in Murcia?
hot summer inland (max 40ºC)
mild winter at coast (>10ºC) while cold inland (<6ºC)
Murcia rainfall? When?
Low (300-350 mm) mostly spring/autumn
Weather hazards in Murcia?
Summer drought
Autumn hailstorms
Torrential downpours
Which mountain range bisects Murcia?
Cordillera Prebética
30% of Murcia has elevation higher than…?
600m
Highest peak in Murcia?
In which range?
Bonus: in which sector?
Pico del Obispo 2,014m
Cordillera Prebética
Macizo de Revolcadores
Name the high plateau in Murcia containing some of the best vineyards. How high?
Altiplano de Jumilla-Yecla
reaching 800m
Name the two main rivers in Murcia. Which mountain range do they flow from, into which sea?
Segura
Guadalenín
Sistema Bético to Mediterranean
Murcia’s soils are mostly what? Why can it be difficult to work with?
Limestone
Some has a topsoil of clay and sand that has to be broken mechanically
Are Murcia’s wines mostly red or white? Main grape?
Red
Monastrell
Where is Monastrell thought to be native to?
Valencia in Spain
Monastrell:
thin or thick skinned?
early or late ripening?
frost prone or resistant?
drought prone or resistant?
thick skin
late ripening
frost resistant
drought resistant
In areas of continental climate in Murcia, Monastrell is often blended with…?
Garnacha Tintorera
Name some grapes used in Murcia, in small quantities, to add complexity and/or tame Monastrell’s aggressive character.
Cencibel/Tempranillo
Garnacha Tinta
Garnacha Tintorera
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Is much white wine made in Murcia? Which grapes?
Only a small amount.
Macabeo
Airén
Chardonnay
Main vine training techniques in Murcia for:
Monastrell
Tempranillo
Garnacha
Cabernet Sauvignon
Monastrell: en vaso
(many old vines, manual work)
the rest: espaldera
(drip irrigation, mechanisation)
What newer winemaking techniques are being implemented in Murcia?
Temperature controlled fermentation
Barrel ageing
(to moderate tannins)
Which is the southernmost DO in Murcia?
DO Bullas
Which is the newest DO in Murcia?
DO Bullas (1994)
Which DO in Murcia is in two non-contiguous areas?
DO Bullas
Which DOs in Murcia are planted with less than 80% Monastrell?
None
(DO Bullas >80%
DO Jumilla >80%
DO Yecla 85%)
In DO Bullas in Murcia, what are the grape requirements for tintos and rosados?
min 60% Monastrell
DO Bullas in Murcia was mostly bulk co-operatives. How is that changing?
Small producers emerging
Which is the oldest DO in Murcia?
DO Jumilla (1966)
Which DO in Murcia is located in more than one autonomous community? What two other DOs in Spain also do this?
DO Jumilla (with Castilla-La Mancha)
DO Cava, DO Rioja
What percentage of DO Jumilla vineyard is located in Murcia? In which region and province is the rest?
40%
60% in Albacete province of Castilla-La Mancha
What percentage of wine production of DO Jumilla is in the town of Jumilla in Murcia?
70%
What are the grape requirements in DO Jumilla for wine labelled:
Vino Tinto?
Tinto Monastrell?
Vino Tinto: no minimum Monastrell
Tinto Monastrell: min 85% Monastrell
What is DO Jumilla wine made from Monastrell typically like?
Deep colour, savoury, concentrated, high alcohol
Which is the smallest DO in Murcia?
DO Yecla
Where topographically is DO Yecla in Murcia?
On the Altiplano de Jumilla/Yecla
Where were some of the oldest winemaking ruins in Spain found, in DO Yecla?
Fuente del Pinar
near Yecla
What helped DO Yecla in Murcia to export wine? How much is exported today?
Near the coast
nearly 95%
What proportion of the DO Yecla vineyard in Murcia is planted to Monastrell? To other reds? Whites?
85%
10% other reds
5% whites
How do DO Yecla’s Monastrell wines differ typically from DO Jumilla’s?
Similar
a little more fruit, less alcohol
Which DO in Murcia produces the least red wine?
DO Bullas (but still 79%)
Which DO in Murcia has soils that include alluvium?
DO Bullas
Which DOs in Murcia are Mediterranean with continental influences, and which are continental with Mediterranean influences?
DO Bullas: Mediterranean with continental influences
DO Jumilla and DO Yecla: continental with Mediterranean influences
Which DO in Murcia has the highest rainfall?
DO Bullas
Which DO in Murcia has the most vineyard?
DO Jumilla (18,682 ha)
Ruins of Roman winemaking facilities were found near Yecla in Murcia. In which centuries were they built? Name of site? On which road?
1-2C BCE
Fuente del Pinar
on Vía Augusta
On 15 Oct 1879 a catastrophic flood hit Murcia and Alicante after a long drought. What was it called?
La Riada de Santa Teresa
(60cm rain in one hour)
Phylloxera reached Murcia in the mid 1890s, but some soils were resistant. In which DO particularly? Ungrafted descendants of those vines are called what? Etymology of that term?
DO Jumilla
pie franco (free footed)
After the Franks from Germany who were free of Roman law.
What severely disrupted winemaking in Murcia in the early 20C?
Second Republic (1931) and Spanish Civil War (1936), with trade blockades, and state mandated grubbing up of vineyards to plant other crops
In Murcia, which is the only DO to list a white grape as ‘Preferred’? Which variety?
DO Bullas
Macabeo
