Notes from Menotomy: This super-affordable Jumilla is a blend of  92% Monastrell (Mourvedre) and 8% Garnacha (Grenache) and received 90 points from Robert Parker in his February online issue. Jumilla was one of the few places in Europe spared during the Phylloxera epidemic of the late 1800's. Virtually everywhere on the continent, vineyards were devastated and, to this day, can only be planted on grafted hybrid-American rootstock. For Jumilla, the key to its vineyards' survival was their sandy soil - which is anathema to the Phylloxera insect. And as a consequence, today Jumilla not only has some of the oldest vines in Spain, but certainly the largest number of ungrafted vines. Bodegas Olivares's vineyards are in the northernmost zone of La Hoya de Santa Ana. This is the coolest subzone of Jumilla, with sandy, lime-rich soils that produce intensely aromatic wines

Grape composition: 92% Monastrell (Mourvedre) and 8% Garnacha (Grenache).

My notes: Ok! I admit I went to taste the Cotes de Castillon (which was shown along with this wine) and this one simply blew me away! Cotes de Castillon was awesome, but this was beyond awesome. Perfectly deep red (almost black), with beautiful deep garnet edge. Plums, cheery sweet, with a very yummy grenache notes. Pair this with what? Too 'complete' to share with anything else on the table.

Buy Factor: Oh! Yeah! At $13.99, a definite buy.

Cost: $13.99 a bottle.