Wine Review: $12 Familia Pacheco ‘Barrica’ Red Blend from Jumilla, Spain 2018 90pts+

$12 No Pain Wine, Big Gain: Say Hello to Jumilla! Move Over Fruity Merlot For This Silky Spanish Red on a Budget! Mourvèdre Grapes Gone Wild! Velvet & Candied Fruit!

Cheapdatewine.com Robert FitzMaurice O’Maoilriain CS, CM Certified Sommelier and Chef drinking deep in the heart of the Garden District in New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the World’s Best Historic Wine Drinking Cities.

Wine Review: $12 Familia Pacheco ‘Barrica’ Red Blend (Monastrell, Cab & Syrah) from Jumilla DOP, Spain 2018 90pts+ QTPR (Quality to Price Ratio) #Vinaelena

Overview: You’re going to be a wine genius when you divert the Merlot-Drinkers in your life to Jumilla, Yecla and Bullas reds from the Mencia (Min-thee-uh) region of Spain. Like some kind of wine prophet you WILL wow the loved ones in your wine and finally put their grocery store Merlot back under the kitchen counter forever where it belongs where you won’t be forced to drink it when visiting.

Comparable to: $22-$35 California Merlot, Right Bank French Bordeauxs based on Merlot and Italian Super Tuscan Wines based of Merlot

Who will love this wine: Juicy, fruity, no-pain red drinkers who love easy, velvety reds | 99% of Merlot-Drinkers | 75% Cabernet and Pinot Noir Drinkers | 50% of White Wine Drinkers

When to drink: great by itself | great for holiday meals or big groups | ideal for Asian Cuisine with its low oak and alcohol

Winery Story: 70 year old multi-generational winemaking family in Jumilla

Regional Story: Jumilla (who-me-ah) is in Mencia(Min-thee-uh) and it’s winemaking goes back to Greek Merchants or earlier. The region is ideal and historically known for Monastrell (known as Mourvèdre internationally) and is able to easily grow the grape organically. Grapes are grown from 800 to 3,000ft on sand and chalk which are phylloxera(a root bug pest) resistant. The vines are grown on their own roots instead of being grafted or attached to other grape roots that are more phylloxera resistant thus giving one of the most pure expressions of Mourvèdre/Monastrell in the world. Grapes grown on sand are easy like sand and chalky soil produce silky textures. Higher altitudes with higher UV light produce grapes with thicker skins leading to robust red and black fruit flavors, color and structure.

Grape(s): 60% Monastrell(Mourvèdre in French), 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah. Jumilla is the land of Monastrell and Mencia in general may produce the the world’s largest number of incredible Monastrell wines. Monastrell based wines in Jumilla are fruity, agile and stylish. Cabernet gives a little extra structure and Syrah gives additional roundness in the middle and dark fruit in the beginning.
Flavors: red cherries | strawberry | mocha coffee | red plum | boysenberry | brown sugar | vanilla pastry dough | violets | Italian Seasoning | crisp bacon | suede | dried bay leaf | moist pipe tobacco | horehound candy | red licorice stick | raspberry hard candy | hillside stone

Body 3 / 5
Acid: 2 / 5
Tannin: 1 / 5
Fruit: 5 / 5
Floral: 4 / 5
Dried Herb/Spice 3 / 5
Stone/Mineral: 3 / 5
Vanilla/Oak: 3 / 5
Earth/Yeast: 1 / 5
Sugar: 0 / 5

Cheese Pairings: Blue Cheese | Cheddar | Emmental
Food Pairings: lamb | sausage | duck | Empanada Jumillana (Potato Pies)
Trad. Pairings: Conejo Con Arroz