Bodegas Castano 'Solanera' Red Blend 2012

Robert Parker 94
"Even more remarkable is the 2012 Solanera Vinas Viejas, a blend of 70% Mourvedre, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Grenache aged 10 months in a combination of French and American oak. A custom cuvee that is only available through importer Eric Solomon, this amazing red wine displays notes of lead pencil shavings, acacia flowers, black raspberries, blueberries and black currants. This full-bodied, intense 2012 tastes like it should cost three to five times as much. Full-bodied, stunningly pure and textured, it should last for 4-5 years, possibly longer. These two remarkable cuvees have been reviewed favorably in the past, but the 2012s seem to ratchet up the quality to even more impressive levels."

The Castaño family are the original pioneers of the DO Yecla, beginning with Ramon Castaño. His conviction, perseverance and determination have all been necessary in achieving the highest quality wine with the most planted grape variety in the area: the Monastrell. Ramon's relationship with the world of wines dates back several generations with a family history of vine cultivation and winemakers. He built the new winery in 1950, modernizing and upgrading the technical methods by which the family vines were worked, and bottled the first wines in 1980. The gradual incorporation of his three sons into the family winery throughout the period of the 80s brought with it a new focus: to reinforce their presence in the national market and begin a new stage of expansion at the international level. With this, the Castaños continued to innovate and improve the reputation of Monastrell from Yecla in domestic and export markets.

The 500+ hectares of vineyards are grouped into four estates – Las Gruesas, El Espinal, Pozuelo and Arabí – with soils ranging from rocky limestone to clay. The primary grape is Monastrell followed in importance by Garnacha Tintorera and Cabernet Sauvignon, but there are also smaller plantings of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Garnacha, Macabeo, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The impressive size of Bodegas Castaño allows for individualized and specialized fermentation, which in turn facilitates a more dynamic winemaking approach.

Bodegas Castaño is now recognized as one of the most respected wine producers in Southeastern Spain in recognition for their tradition and achievements in the use of the indigenous grape varieties. With a clear innovative spirit, the Castaño family has incorporated avant-garde technologies and the latest vinification systems to keep alive the legacy of their ancestors, an inherited passion for the deeply rooted Monastrell, the king variety in Yecla.