Bodegas Campos Reales
The landscape of Meseta Central stretches out endlessly to include La Mancha, the land of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, and also Spain's largest wine region.
The heart of the Iberian peninsula is characterised by an extremely continental climate with scorching summers and freezing winters. Luckily, the scarce downpours are aptly retained by the calciferous loamy soil in order to enable the vines' survival. Quite often, these are very old, gnarled, and stunted in their growth. In order to shield the grapes from the torrid heat using their leaves, the vines still are often reared low to the ground in the traditional manner -- also known as bush vines or 'en vaso'.
Red wines from Bodegas Campos Reales
from Bodegas Campos Reales
Next to Tempranillo or its local nomenclature Cencibel, the Bodegas Campos Reales also cultivate since 1950 many other grape varieties: Garnacha, Tintorera, Bobal, and white varieties such as Airén (which incidentally claims the largest vine area worldwide) or Macabeo, to name a few.
This is yet another case in which tradition meets modernity. The cellar's implementation of the latest vinification infrastructure does not exclude traditional processes such as hand-picking (which also applies to simple wines), the nurturing of the vines, the preservation of indigenous grape varieties, or the ageing in barriques. Led by a young, dedicated and highly specialised team, the bodega belongs to those vineyards propagating the self-proclaimed revolution of the Mancha wines and which carries its reputation worldwide of having an amazing price/pleasure ratio.
Producer
Castello del Terriccio
Castello del Terriccio is one of the largest agricultural estates in Tuscany (Province of Pisa) with its own microclimate. The approximately 1700 hectares extend from the northern end of the Maremma to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vineyards enjoy a south-southwest exposure with the warming and luminous effect of the sea. The Mediterranean maquis and the eucalyptus trees growing all around it not only protect the grapes from the wind, but also imbue them with the scents and aromas that give the wines of the Terriccio their distinctive flavour.
Domaine de Cabasse
This winery is situated amidst vines between the towns of Séguret and Sablet, a half-hour drive from Orange, or Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The origins of the Domaine de Cabasse date back to when the Papal seat was in Avignon. Over time, the original Italian name Casa Bassa (the house below the village) became Cabasse.
Château Les Valentines
Not far from the picturesque towns of Nice and Saint-Tropez, the owners of Château Les Valentines, Gilles and Pascale Pons, produce wines that reflect the summery lightness and intense sensuality of the beautiful Provence countryside.