Mont Reaga – La Tierra de Castilla

When most people think of Castilla La Mancha thoughts of sub-quality wine generally come to mind, much like the Languedoc is to French wines, Castilla La Mancha is to Spanish wines. This however, is a generalisation and, as with most countries that have areas where wines are mass-produced, there are some hidden gems and Mont Reaga makes some of the better wines we have tasted from the region (we will have more chance later today when we attend the annual tasting of over 200 wines from La Mancha in Hong Kong’s Langham Place hotel).

I have always thought it best that wineries in countries that have indigenous grapes should make wines from these locally available grapes, but I guess in some cases the use of international varieties gives the winemaker and the winery the style and the quality of wines they are looking for (just look at super-Tuscan wines made in Italy from international grape varieties).

Mont Reaga is one that, on the whole, uses international varieties in the blending and making of its wines. In fact the only wine that’s made from the Tempranillo grape is their Isola 2011 which is a blend of Tempranillo and Syrah. Syrah makes up a substantial proportion of the wines they make, as does Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The winery itself is a family winery and was founded in 2003 in the town of Cuenca, between Mota del Cuervo and Belmonte an area of tranquil beauty with a thriving ecosystem, something the winery takes very seriously and in environmentally conscious in the ways it goes about it business.

They only make one white wine, seemingly endemic of Spanish wine production for a country that drinks primarily red wine with most meals, and this is a Sauvignon Blanc that has been aged in both American and French oak. It’s a very refreshing white wine with a good weight to it and has complexity. Although a fantastic wine to go with food, this is also refreshing and a good drink for a hot summer’s day.

Personally, I found their top end wines very enjoyable. I thought the Tempo La Espera Crianza 2005 (a blend of Cabernet and Merlot) to be a lovely wine with subtle fruit flavours that slowly expand over the palate. I also liked the Clasico Reserva Syrah 2004 which was elegant and refined and that had a lovely roundness and smoothness on the palate.

One of the most interesting wines they make is a sweet red wine – more like a dessert wine in style actually. It’s the Fata Morgana Natural Sweet Merlot 2008 which is made by doing a late harvest in (generally) November. The wine is then left to ferment for 12 months is oak. It’s not super sweet, just subtle enough to be a wine that should either be served as an aperitif or digestif.

In all, I was pleasantly surprised with the aforementioned wines –certainly more so their Cabernet and Merlot blends – but as a young winery with great potential it’s easy to see their passionate not just about wine, but about making great wines sustainably in their local environment ensuring the protection of their prized vineyards and setting down the standard for generations of winemakers to come in Castilla La Mancha.

Mont Reaga wines are available to buy from the Spanish Wine Club – Unit 03/04 22^nd Floor Chuang’s Enterprises Building, 382 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai (Tel: 2295 6682) www.spanishwineclub.com.hk

Look out for our “Top Wines Of La Mancha” story out later this week based on the wines we are tasting later this afternoon!