Yecla, Spain: Bodegas La Purísima

Founded in 1946, Bodegas La Purísima is a cooperative winery that manages and produces 60 percent of Yecla’s vines and has around 400 to 500 members.  It’s one of the older wineries in the area, and rather large in size.  A tour of the winery, located in an industrial part of Yecla, showcased their cement fermenting and aging vats, huge stainless steel tanks and oak barrels; along with a state-of-the-art bottling system.  With an impressive amount of wines being produced, using vineyards that are scattered throughout Yecla, the range of wines offered are numerous – from young, fruity Jovens (made to drink now with no oak aging) to oaked and bold Crianzas and Reservas (made to age beautifully).  As large as the facility was, La Purísima does, indeed, focus on quality over quantity.

I tried my first ever 100 percent Monastrell at this winery (the 2012 La Purísima Monastrell) , and I was instantly taken back by its excellent qualities and fruity freshness. We also tried a Monastrell Rosado, a white blend, a naturally sweet Monastrell and some higher-end premium aged wines, but it was that first sip of the 2012 La Purísima Monastrell that instantly captured my heart for this varietal.  It was a fantastic way to begin several days of exploring the three DOs of the Murcia Region of Spain, Yecla, Jumilla and Bullas.  I was excited to try more Monastrell.

Being a fan of wines with solid acidity and not a lot of oak, I really enjoyed the Joven (young) style wines produced by La Purísima.  I loved the labels, too –  line three bottles side by side and the Monastrell vine artistically flows from one bottle to the next.

La Purísima 2012 Rosado (Monastrell, Syrah and Merlot) ~ Beautiful aromas of fresh raspberries, pomegranate and limes were lively, fruity, round and full on the palate.  Good acidity balanced out the fruit, leaving the palate refreshed and satisfied – an excellent, fresh and dry rosé.

La Purísima 2012 Blanco (Sauvignon Blanc, Macabeo and Verdejo) ~ Aromas of lemon lime zest and hints of Jasmine hit the palate with vibrancy, and I can totally see myself sipping this wine all summer long with its fresh, crisp and zippy characteristics.

La Purísima 2012 Monastrell ~ It’s pretty obvious that I loved my first taste of 100 percent Monastrell.  It was fruit forward, crisp, fresh, complex and had lovely acidity.  The color was a gorgeous dark cherry red.

I was also impressed with their higher-end wines: 2010 Premium and 2008 Old Vines Expression; as well as,  Monastrell Dolce (named Enesencia),  a naturally sweet red wine made with dried grapes.

La Purísima 2008 Old Vines Expression (Monastrell, Syrah and Garnacha) ~ Intense aromas of fall spices, pepper and licorice flow in waves on the palate with additional meaty characteristics, loads of tannins and a spicy, black pepper finish.  This was aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.

La Purísima 2010 Premium (Monastrell and Granahca) ~ Dark fruit aromas with hints of clove and vanilla showcase on the nose and palate with additional flavors of blackberry, fig and cola.  Solid tannin structure and acidity round out the dark fruit flavors, ending with a balanced, yet bold finish.

La Purísima 2011 Enesencia ~ Sweet dried fruits and nuances of eucalyptus really stood out on the aromas, but the palate was rich and dense with layers of fruit and displayed more acidity than I would have thought from the aromas.  Surprised by the depth of character, I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I was going to, as I don’t normally lean towards sweet wines – this was simply…unique.

Our group of writers was told the La Purísima wines, starting with the Joven line, was going to begin being distributed in the United States this month.  I can’t wait to find them in my local wine shop.