Montilla-Moriles

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Label of a PX

Montilla-Moriles is a wine-growing region in Spain with the status of a Denominación de Origen ( DO ). The region is located in Andalusia , a little south and south-east of Córdoba . Around 10,000 hectares are mainly planted with Pedro Ximénez vines, and the Airén , Verdejo , Moscatel and Torrontés grape varieties are permitted in the growing area. Almost exclusively very full-bodied, high-alcohol white wines come on the market , which, like sherries, are matured both oxidatively and reductively under a spontaneously arising layer of pile.

Wines from this region were once world famous, but this fame, like that of many fortified wines, has faded considerably in the last 40 years. Above all, the region's competition for the better-known sherry was very damaging, as its smaller and lesser siblings were classified as wines of this DO. The fundamental difference to the sherries from Jerez or to the manzanilla from Sanlúcar de Barrameda is the type of carrier and in good years (i.e. in years in which Pedro Ximenez can fully mature and develop his enormous sweetness potential) a largely renouncement of fortification . There are also fundamental differences in terms of expansion, especially in the choice of container.

Vines and location

Location of the Montilla-Moriles wine region

The carrier variety of most wines of the DO is the Pedro Ximenez, which reaches very high must weights when fully ripe , so that it is never fortified for aging as a Vino Joven and rarely for a Fino . The PX (ampelographic abbreviation for the Pedro Ximenez vine) has its best locations in the Zona Calidad Superior on extremely low-humus limestone soils, the so-called Albarizas; Top locations are in the Sierra de Moriles and in the Altos de Moriles . In the lower areas, especially on the loose sandy soils of the Sierra de Montilla , in the so-called Zona Llana , slightly lower qualities are usually achieved. These regions are also increasingly planted with DO by-varieties. The climate in the entire area is extremely hot in summer; Precipitation falls almost exclusively in late autumn and winter, but can be up to 1000 millimeters in the higher elevations. The annual average temperature fluctuates around 16 ° C.

Expansion and storage

A fino with the typical olive tint of the Moriles origins

The grapes are usually destemmed and pressed immediately after harvest . Only first musts are used for the best wines - musts obtained with high pressure ferment into base wines for brandies, or are regionally marketed as table wines. The fermentation takes place in clay jugs larger than a man, the so-called Tinajas. In the reductive expansion, Finos ripen under a layer of pile that largely prevents contact with oxygen. These wines are often completely unpredited (alcohol content around 15 percent by volume ), or only lightly fortified. (Alcohol content a little over 16 percent by volume). Wines that are later to become Amontillados or Olorosos are also fortified in this DO - this partially or completely destroys the pile layer and matures oxidatively. After fermentation is complete, the young wines are drawn off into wooden barrels (mostly similar to 600 liter oak barrels in Jerez or Sanlúcar de Barrameda) and mature in the solera-criadera process. As in the sherry area, the barrels are only filled to 5 sixths so that air contact remains, or, as with the Fino and sometimes also with the Amontillado, a layer of pile can form.

Wines

Nationally and internationally, the DO is known almost exclusively for wines that have a certain relationship to the different types of sherry and also have the same names as these: Fino, Amontillado and Oloroso , and occasionally also Palo cortado . In addition, remarkable, dry, extremely fruity young wines Vino Joven are marketed internationally. Especially the finos from the region differ significantly from the manzanillas and finos from the sherry triangle. This is mainly due to the different types of carrier and the slightly different expansion. The considerably higher glycerine content of the Montilla-Morilles Finos results in a slightly greasier , not so dust -dry overall impression; even the slight touch of salt, which can be particularly evident with manzanillas, is not characteristic of these finos. These characteristics play a role in taste, they do not represent a quality judgment. With the Amontillados, but especially with the Oloroso, the taste differences to similarly developed wines from the Jerez region become more indistinct, since the mostly very long oxidative maturation process also the initially clear differences in the Partly removes the taste nuances of the base wines.

In addition to these internationally best-known wines, the sweet, dark brown, but often almost black Pedro Ximenez is also available on the market, the alcohol content of which usually fluctuates between 15 and 17 percent by volume, but can occasionally be considerably lower. The Moscatel, a varietal wine made from yellow muscat grapes , is also expanded oxidatively and occasionally fortified. With old age, these wines, well known to connoisseurs, can be very tart despite their sweetness. Often they have a distinct cocoa aroma.

Web links

literature

  • John Radford: The New Spain. A complete guide to contemporary Spanish Wine. Mitchell Beazley, London 1998, ISBN 1-85732-254-1 .
  • John Radford: Wine Landscape Spain. Tradition and departure. Hallwag, Bern a. a. 1999, ISBN 3-444-10553-3 .
  • Jan Read: Spain's Wines 2005/06. 7th, revised, updated edition. Hallwag im Gräfe und Unzer Verlag, Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7742-6962-9 .
  • Jeremy Watson: The new & classical Wines of Spain. Montagud Editores, Barcelona 2002, ISBN 84-7212-087-2 .