MyWinePal: Come and Visit Gil Family Estates at VanWineFest 2018

Juan Gil Bodegas Familiares are a group of small wineries scattered throughout Spain that have been joining the family group since 2002.

Juan Gil Bodegas Familiares has a wide portfolio of Spanish wines with different characteristics and backgrounds. All of them with a common denominator; produced with different indigenous varieties of grapes, a refined image and an unbeatable relation between its quality and its price in the commercial market where they are sold.

The origins of the winery date from 1916, when Juan Gil Gimènez, great-grandfather of the present generation, started getting involved in the world of wines, building a winery in the heart of Jumilla.

His son, Juan Gil Guerrero, dedicated his whole life to the wine business, but it was the third generation who really consolidated the winery. Juan Gil Gonzalez together with his brother Paco, the founder’s grandsons, forged an image of quality, reliability, and efficiency with the present generation trying to maintain and improve as much as possible.

The Wines We Will Be Pouring at the International Festival Tasting Room

The Gil Family Estates group of wineries will be shown at three tables at the Festival Tasting Room:

Bodegas Ateca / Bodegas Tridente / Bodegas Rosario Vera

The vineyards that produce the grapes and organic grapes of Honoro Vera and Honoro Vera Organic are located over 2,300 feet in elevation. These vineyards are over 30 years of age with little production because they are planted on a bed of limestone and sand, very poor in nutrients, ideal for this type of crop.

Bodegas Tridente vineyards of Tempranillo are planted on sandy soils in the traditional “vaso” system, are located in the areas of El Pego and Villanueva de Campean within the Province of Zamora. The hand-picked grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks ageing for at least 6 months in French oak barrels.

ATTECA Old Vines Garnacha

Honoro Vera Blanco ($17.99) – Made from 100% Verdejo grapes. The wine exudes intense aromas of white flowers and fresh fruit with exotic tropical notes. There is vivid acidity and mineral balance that leads to a refreshing finish.
The old vine vineyards are very sandy with alluvial pebbles that bring the added complexity of minerality. These high elevation vineyards experience daily temperature variations which may slow maturation and intensify flavors.
Honoro Vera Rioja ($19.49) – 100% Tempranillo. A fruit forward, well-balanced wine with spicy notes on the palate. Ripe tannins, savory and mineral hints complement a pleasant cocoa finish.
Atteca Old Vines Garnacha ($29.99) – Deep cherry color with intense aromas of red ripe fruit (raspberry) which combine perfectly with the spicy notes of cacao, vanilla and licorice which complement a noble aging. It is very fresh and fruity in the mouth. It has a notable finish where fruit and spice aromas come back via retro-nasal.
Tridente Rejón Tempranillo ($64.99) – Rejón is the name of the best vineyard of Tempranillo located in the town of El Pego, in the Toro Appellation. This 130 year old vineyard is planted on a top layer of gravel over very sandy soils producing very low yields of less than one ton per acre. This very limited production reflects the typicity and genuineness of the indigenous grapes coming from this unique terroir. The grapes are carefully hand-picked in small baskets of 15 kgs, fermented in small stainless vats and aged in 225 litre French oak barrels for 20 months.

Bodegas Juan Gil

Juan Gil Silver Label 2014

Silver Label (12 Meses) Monastrell (available at BC Liquor Stores $24.99) – It has a very dark cherry color with purple tones. On the nose it has a powerful aroma of red berries toasted and smoked notes from their aging in oak barriques. It has good structure with ripe and sweet tannins. In the mouth it is very long with a perfect balance between fruit, alcohol and the oak tones which make it very pleasant and easy to drink.
Blue Label (18 Meses) Monastrell ($46.99) – Intense black cherry in color, it proffers a nose of toasty and spicy notes and jammy black fruits. It opens in the glass to reveal a complex blend of wild berries, spice box and hints of licorice, coffee and cocoa. Texture is smooth and dense, tannins are ripe and acidity is crisp and mouthwatering. Long, persistent finish. It will evolve well for 2-3 years and drink well for many years.
Honoro Vera Organic Monastrell ($18.49) – The collection is made in late September. Fermentation is carried out for 10 days with skins in stainless steel tanks with fermentation temperatures not exceeding 80°F. The wine is produced under organic regulations established by European Union norm as well as in the United States.

Cellers Can Blau / Bodegas Atalaya / Bodegas Shaya

Can Blau Cellars comes from D.O. Montsant. Montsant is a D.O. which has not yet shown its real potential as far as enological quality is concerned. Contrary to its illustrious neighbour Priorat, in Montsant one can work with characteristic varieties, each one planted in soils of different compositions, i.e. sand and clay for Cariñena, also called Mazuelo, lime for Syrah, and slate (known as licorella) for Garnacha. This project, together with the Gil Family and Victor Rodriguez, is lead in its technical aspects by the winemaker Nuria López Sarroca.

Atalaya Winery is a new project within Gil Family Estates in the Almansa D.O. It is located east of Albacete Province among Valencia, Alicante and Murcia, in the transit zone between the Castilian Plateau and the Mediterranean Sea. The winery and vineyards are located 3-km north of Almansa at an altitude of 800 meters above sea level. The soils consist mainly of limestone. The predominant grape varieties are Garnacha Tintorera, a variety native to the area, and Monastrell, from which this project builds its wines. Technical direction is provided by Australian-born winemaker Frank Gonzales.

Shayla Bodegas winery and vineyards are located in the most southwestern part of the appellation in the province of Segovia. The grapes for this wine come from 30.5 hectares of very old Verdejo vines, with low yields (2.5/ha). The vines were planted in sandy soils in vaso system, which makes it possible that many of them are ungrafted. The vineyards have a surface layer of small-sized river gravel and a deeper layer that consists of clay.
The wine ferments partially in barrel and stays with the lees in its entirety for several months before being bottled. Technical direction is provided by Belinda Thomson of the Australian Crawford River winery in the area of Victoria, and Alastair Gardner.

LAYA Garnacha Monastrell

Laya Garnacha-Monastrell (available at BC Liquor Stores $14.49) – Garnacha Tintorera is known for its deep color and here it coats the glass and imparts aromas of brooding black fruits, licorice, espresso and pepper. Dense, savory and rich.
Shaya Verdejo ($24.99) – It displays a nose of toasty baking spices, nutmeg, spring flowers, marzipan, and pit fruits. A bit richer and more complex on the palate than the “usual” cuvee, this vibrant effort could evolve for 1 to 2 years but is drinking well now.
Blau Carinena-Syrah-Garnacha ($21.99) – A blend of 50% Cariñena, 25% Syrah, and 25% Garnacha, aged for 4 months in French oak. The Cariñena and Garnacha vines used for the production of these wines have an approximate age ranging from 25 to 40 years. The vineyards of Garnacha are around 2,000′ in altitude in the area of Comudella de Montsant on slate soils, the Cariñena vineyards in Darmós and Masroig area on clay soils, and the Syrah vineyards are on limestone soils. The fermentation was carried out in stainless steel tanks for 10 days and then remained in French oak barrels for 4 months.
Can Blau Carinena-Syrah-Garnacha ($28.49) – A blend of 40% Cariñena, 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha, aged for 9 months in new French oak. Cherry and purple color tones, the wine exhibits a wonderful collection of attributes, aromatics, strengths, and complexity that provides a window to the possibilities of the D.O. Montsant. Fruity and infused with the soils’ characteristics, it shows a wild, savory mouthfeel and a fresh and spicy finish.