Casa Castillo, Pie Franco 2017 – Hammonds

Depending on whom you consult, the Pie Franco from Casa Castillo is considered: the benchmark wine from Jumilla, the best example of Monastrell in Spain or one of Spain’s greatest wines. The Pie Franco comes from the oldest vineyard (about 75 years old) on the property, La Solana. Solana is noted for its sandy soils that are phylloxera resistant but not completely immune and each year a few vines succomb to the disease which combined with the low yields means that there is very little Pie Franco to go around. For many years this cuvée was only available in Europe but recently a small amount has been made available to us. A pre-fermentation maceration proceeds fermentation in stone lagars after which the wine is racked into neutral 500 liter French oak demi-muids where it ages for 16 to 18 months