2023 Bodegas Cerron Matas Altas Monastrell

The 2023 Bodegas Cerrón "Matas Altas" is a biodynamically farmed Monastrell from ungrafted old vines in Fuente-Álamo, Jumilla — plum skins, tobacco leaf, pink peppercorn, and Mediterranean herbs on the nose, with a juicy, silky palate, chalky minerality, and a long, precise finish that feels nothing like the brawny Jumilla of old. Siblings Juanjo, Lucía, and Carlos Cerdán are the fourth generation to work these ancient limestone vineyards at 850–940 meters altitude — farming organically since 1989 and biodynamically since 2011, making wines that are defined by three things the land gives freely: hot days, cold nights, and chalky stones, exactly the kind of deep-rooted family story and connection between people, land, and plant that we exist to tell. Fun fact: the Cerdán family structured their wines like a Burgundian hierarchy — Matas Altas as the village-level entry point, with premier and grand cru equivalents above it — a bold framework for a region most of the world still associates with cheap bulk wine, and proof that Jumilla is having one of the most exciting reinventions in all of Spain. Pair with lamb, roast pork, game, or a serious cheese board.