2018 Bodegas Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla
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Tasting notes
Inky ruby. Fresh black and blue fruit aromas are sharpened by a smoky mineral nuance and a flourish of pungent flowers. Sappy and seamless in texture, offering juicy, spice-laced cherry and boysenberry flavors supported by a smoky mineral undertone. Finishes silky, precise and very long, with lingering florality and well-knit tannins.
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Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
Josh Raynolds
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I also tasted the following vintage, the 2018 Juan Gil (silver label), from a cooler and rainier, more continental vintage than the 2017 I tasted next to it. The origin is the same, Monastrell from their own old, non-irrigated vines fermented in stainless steel and matured in French oak barrels for around 12 months. This is the first vintage that is certified organic. There were some challenges, but they resulted in a fresh and balanced wine with integrated oak and a juicy and round palate. They have introduced optical sorting of the grapes, and perhaps that's why there is more precision and purity. They cannot do manual sorting at this price point, but optical sorting seems like a good alternative. 2018 is a more difficult vintage than the 2017, yet this wine is better, juicier and seems to absorb the oak better, with just a smoky touch that reminded me somehow of a Northern Rhône. Really impressive. 312,000 bottles. It was bottled in June 2020.