• Rich, full-bodied
• Powerful

90 Points - "A combination of 60% Mourvedre and equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the unfiltered 2003 Las Gravas was aged in 300 liter French barrels for 14 months. It offers lovely floral, creme de cassis, smoke, charcoal, and earthy characteristics in its rich, full-bodied, powerful personality. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years." - Robert Parker (more info)

• Rich, full-bodied
• Powerful

90 Points - "A combination of 60% Mourvedre and equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the unfiltered 2003 Las Gravas was aged in 300 liter French barrels for 14 months. It offers lovely floral, creme de cassis, smoke, charcoal, and earthy characteristics in its rich, full-bodied, powerful personality. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years." - Robert Parker

As its name indicates, Las Gravas (the gravel), the wine comes from vineyards located in the foothills of the Sierra Del Molar Mountains, which contain an incredible amount of gravel and stones that cover the mostly chalky soil.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: Casa Castillo owns 1,020 acres. 156 acres are almond trees, 40.8 acres are olive trees, and there are 564 acres for vineyards. The estate was bought in 1941 by the grandfather of the current winemaker, José Maria Vicente. Historical records indicate that there were vineyards on the estate since 1874. Because of interest in a Monastrell (Mourvedre) based wine expressed by many French wine merchants, the first commercial winery was built on the estate in 1910. Finca Casa Castillo is one of only a handful of estates in the appellation that is making significant strides in integrity and quality of winemaking. The topography of the vineyards is very rough and rocky. The soil is very poor with little organic matter. It is chalky with gravel and sand accounting for almost 45% of the total composition, which promotes good drainage. In fact, some of the vineyards are covered with 10 inches of loose gravel. It plays an important role in these vineyards because it prevents the evaporation of the scant rainfall that does occur in this Region and traps the precious ground water that seeps down from the mountains, thus enabling the vines to survive in these adverse weather conditions. (close)