![\"IMG_4951\"](\"http:\/\/www.cbws.eu\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/IMG_4951.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThirty two members set off punctually from their two stage pickup for their two day trip to Bullas, inland from Murcia. As usual Gaby had prepared a detailed programme booklet. We were going to visit two bodegas and have a guide and tasting at the museum of wine from a nearby bodega at Bullas. The three star Hotel SG at Bullas was our overnight accommodation, with aperitives, tasting and dinner included.<\/span><\/p>\n After a short break at the hotel , we visited Bodegas Balcona, in the beautiful valley of Arceniche (see heading picture) . The region was very dry but the valley was green and spectacular. Our guide was Pepa who remembered some of us from a previous visit twelve years ago. Eileen Hodson did a superb job translating into English as she did at our final bodega. When we arrived, Monastrell was being harvested and sold to other bodegas in the region with only a small percentage being kept by their own boutique bodega. Our tasting was Partal Wines (known as Partal 37 named after the number of barrels in the first year of production.) Their best wine is made from 60 year old Monastrell vines. They were finishing their vendemia as we arrived where the grapes are hand harvested in 20 kilogram boxes and selected on site. Other grape varieties they grow are tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot. They macerate for between two and three weeks, ferment and at 12 months they begin to \u201cdesign\u201d the wine. We tasted two red wines: 37 Barricas de Partal 2006 Crianza at 8 euros and Partal 2007 at 12 euros with the younger proving more popular. We relaxed at the Hotel in the evening sampling aperitives with wine prior to eating a good dinner. The wine continued to flow.<\/span><\/p>\n Before setting off for Bodega Monastrell the following day, we bought Las Renas wine sampled at the museum from the cooperative close to the Hotel then travelled down the valley to Bodega Monastrell which proved the highlight of the tour. Owner\/guide Alfonso J. Garcia and his wife There is a tendency for quality to use the barrel for a shorter period.as the taste diminishes anually by 50% and cork is still preferred by their customers, although Alfonso sees no advantage. They experience snow in winter, and when the tmeperature stays at 4 degrees or below for a week they hand pick the frosted grapes from 5a.m. which go straight into the press and by March have a limited 1,000 bottles of sweet concentrated wine.<\/span><\/p>\n Alfonso’s evident enthusiasm and pride in his product was contagious and we enjoyed this visit Purchases complete we went to Molino de Abajo for a most substantial lunch. This noted restaurant is situated in a former 350 year old flour mill at the side of the river Mula and<\/span> specialized in local dishes. The chef and his team treated us to a super range of different entradas then the second course and fruit appeared all to be digested with copious glasses of wine. We all applauded the chef and his team, and Hugh Epsom, on behalf of all, presented Margaret and Gaby with a gift of their favourite wines. Tim Ladd who had been tour organiser at this same area previously also added his appreciation. A memorable feast before our return.<\/span><\/p>\n Coach driver Mark with a 32 seater coach was very amenable and helpful, and managed to negotiate some fairly difficult terrain when seeking the two bodegas in the beautiful green valley of Aceniche . Tim Fawle, was on hand to assist not only with the speaker system but with finding the location of the bodegas and also assumed the duties of coach fly swatter. Gaby, on completion of payments, returned ten euros per person from our small overpayment, which nobody refused. Where next?<\/span><\/p>\n Thirty two members set off punctually from their two stage pickup for their two day trip to Bullas, inland from Murcia. As usual Gaby had prepared a detailed programme booklet. We were going to visit two bodegas and have a…<\/p>\n<\/a>Bullas Wine Museum is housed in a once important wine cellar and is compact but remarkable in the wealth of information about wine and traditional and current procedures. and is exceptionally well designed \u2013 Maria our guide conducted our tour after showing a film in English about the area and its history. Bullas has a long history of wine making and achieved DO status in 1994. Immediately following the tour by Maria we tasted three wines from the nearby bodega Nuestr<\/span>a Senora del Rosario. Unfortunately due to work in progress we were unable to visit the bodega. The first two wines were a white macabeo \u2013 and a rosado monastrell \u2013 Las Renas, both priced at 3.40 euros and finally a Las Renas Seleccion Crianza costing 8 euros.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>met us and explained that his bodega was once a co-operative and is now family owned. He admitted this year had been very difficult as only 25 cm of rain fell instead of usual 300cm.and above. He had bought in water regularly from Bullas and could only water 7 rows daily and this was hugely expensive. This changes the minerality of the wine as the roots are forced to seek nourishment from greater soil depth with increased minerality. They have only 75% of the normal yield this year . Their french oak barrels cost between 800 and 1300 euros dependant on the size and are used. only two or three years and sell at 50 euros\/barrel<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>enormously. We tasted three red wines: Almudi 2011 which at 5.50\u20ac was very good value, Chaveo 2010 Crianza at 10.8\u20ac which proved more popular and some thought exceptional and a DieHielo Chaveo 2010 sweet wine at 17.50 euros which had the limited product ion of 1,000 half bottles. Alfonso prided himself on achieving the best ecological footprint in Spain and the only chemical product he allowed was to spray by hand a copper based solution against mildew. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Text by Rod Anderton, Photographs by Rod Anderton and Gaby Ferenczy
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