The genesis of today’s Olivares family winery began in 1930, when Pascual Olivares Fernández started to produce small quantities of wine to supply his region of Jumilla. The family’s love for Jumilla’s harsh, beautiful landscape feeds their passion for wine and its production, moving them to create natural, unique wines that faithfully represent their region’s singular terroir. Today, Paco Selva and his family work tirelessly to fine-tune the quality of their wines on their 65 hectares estate. Their vineyards are located in Hoya de Santa Ana, in the northwest corner of the Jumilla appellation within Tobarra, which is one of the finest, most expressive sub-zones of the region. It has the highest elevation (825m) and a fortuitous combination of sandy soils, with a high percentage of chalk. The high elevation provides a climate that shares Jumilla’s warm days, but considerably cooler nights than the rest of the appellation. Grape ripening is prolonged, giving the final wines better balance and a more intense aromatic development. Bodegas Olivares is blessed some of the world’s largest collection of ungrafted old Monastrell vines. The transformation of their
prized vines into wine is as natural as possible, with only natural yeasts used. A judicious use of French oak brings just the right amount of tightness and gives another dimension to their rich and spicy wines. Not to be missed is the Jumilla Dulce, which bursts with the flavours of dates, figs and liquorice.