Yecla has its roots in viticulture and winemaking, which have marked its landscape, its culture and the personality of its people. Today it lives side by side with an important furniture industry.
The Denomination of Origin is formed only with the lands of the municipality of Yecla, located to the north of the Region of the Altiplano, in the northeast of the Region of Murcia, in the South-east of Spain.
It was on May 15, 1975, when the Ministry of Agriculture granted the Designation of Origin to this land and approved its first Regulation. It is from this moment, when a slow revolution promoted by small private wineries and cooperatives that with the use of new technologies, began the production of red wines of great quality that have placed this Denomination of Origin in a privileged situation and with a great future.
Description
The Denomination of Origin protected of Yecla , is a denomination of origin very dynamic, with big vocation exporter, since around 95% of his production commercialises outside Spain, is present in more than 40 countries of all the world.
The DO Yecla authorizes a wide variety of wine styles, although mainly the production of red wines, based on the Monastrell variety alone or accompanied by other authorized varieties, is also produced specific varietals of Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot.
The wines of Yecla are characterized by their diversity, where balance prevails, a high aromatic intensity and a great fruit concentration.
Soil and Climate
Yecla is a transition zone between the plateau and the Mediterranean, the most important characteristic from the orographic point of view of this area is the remarkable altitude of the plateau, from which numerous mountain alignments stand out. The vineyards are located at altitudes that range between 535 and 800 meters above sea level .
The glacis are the most typical and emblematic landform of the region. The main feature of the terrain is the endorheic character of its valleys. The soils of the area in general are limestone, a thick subsoil with the presence of carbonates and a sandy surface with clay formations. It is poor in organic matter but quite healthy and with adequate permeability.
The climate of Yecla is Mediterranean-continentalized (IGN). With long, cold winters and hot summers. The temperature is characterized by a high thermal oscillation (of 20ºC), which allows an excellent maturation. The precipitations are scarce and located in spring and summer, often in the form of stormy downpours. Throughout the year the average rains oscillate around 300 mm. During the last decade, the recorded sun hours were of an average of 3,385 hours.
Monastrell
If something identifies this Denomination of Origin, it is undoubtedly the Monastrell variety, practically constituting a monoculture. It is a demanding strain of delicate cultivation, which has found in our area an ideal place where to develop its full potential and is capable of transmitting it through its wines.
Wines of intense color, very expressive and fruity on the nose, with live tannins in the mouth and with great structure, it has high oxidative power. Wines of remarkable graduation are obtained, the Monastrell only develops all its varietal potential from 13 degrees.
It is a variety of Spanish origin, which likes the sun, prefers light, deep soils, well drained and with the presence of limestone.
It is able to withstand prolonged periods of drought, in which its development and production go down considerably, when the conditions become favorable again, it is re-established.
The Monastrell is a plant of good bearing, with branches of chestnut color, light reddish and erect, leaves with hairiness on the underside, of medium size, almost whole of intense green color, it has bunches of small-medium size and very compact shaped conical and one wing, its berries are small size, spherical blue-black, with thick skin and presents a great uniformity in size.
