Juan Gil - Viñas Familia Gil

A family company since its inception, Viñas Familia Gil (aka Gil Family Estates), better known as Bodega Juan Gil, is one of Spain’s most important wine producers. As of today, Viñas Familia Gil makes wine in ten Spanish wine regions through eleven subsidiaries.

The origins of Viñas Familia Gil date back to the early XXth century. The first harvest of Mr. Juan Gil Giménez, the founder of the dinasty, was in 1916. After several uneventful decades, at the beginning of the XXIth century a new generation in charge completely renovated the technical facilities and substantially increased the quality of the wines, thanks to which the company was able to compete in the international wine market for the first time.

With the aim of expressing each individual terroir in the most honest manner, the wines of Gil Family Estates are produced basically from native varieties, sometimes blended with international ones.What follows is a list of the eleven brands of Grupo Juan Gil, all of which are available at Enterwine.

In DO Jumilla, where the company was founded, Bodega Juan Gil produces wines from the local variety Monastrell, typically complemented with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Petit Verdot. A varietal white wine from Moscatel de Grano Menudo is also worth mentioning.

Located in the Jumilla highlands, Bodegas El Nido (in partnership with famed Australian winemaker Chris Ringland) produces top-shelf, small-batch red wines from Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon. These unique wines have earned a worldwide reputation over the years.

Not far from Jumilla, in DO Almansa, Bodegas Atalaya combines Monastrell with Garnacha Tintorera (aka Alicante Bouschet), a colouring variety with a high polyphenol content.

In the barren Castilian plains of DO Rueda, Bodegas y Viñedos Shaya crafts age-worthy organic white wines from very old Verdejo vineyards.

Speaking of white wines, Albariño aficionados should check out the wines of bodega Lagar da Condesa, a winery based in DO Rías Baixas.

In the old Kingdom of León, an area currently encompassed by the designation VT Castilla y León, Bodegas Tridente produces characterful red wines from Tempranillo and Prieto Picudo, a little known native variety of Barolo-like tannicity and terrific acidity.

The Tempranillo variety is also the main component of the wines of bodega Rosario Vera, Juan Gil’s branch in DOCa Rioja, the most famous of all Spanish wine regions.

In DO Campo de Borja and DO Calatayud, Bodegas Morca and Bodegas Ateca produce varietal Grenache wines which explore the many facets of one of Spain’s most trendy red varieties.

In Catalonia, Viñas Familia Gil has two branches. Celler Can Blau, in DO Montsant, produces international style red wines with Grenache, Carignan and Syrah.

Finally, Bodegas Llicorella Vins strives to capture the magic and mystique of the neighbouring DOQ Priorat using the same grape varieties and Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Founded in: 1916
  
• Address: Paraje de la Aragona, Carretera de Fuente Álamo
• City: Jumilla
  
• Province: Murcia
• Zip code: 30520
• Country: Spain
• Phone number: 34 968 435 022
  
• www.gilfamily.es
• Guided visits? No
• Wine tourism services?  No

Designation of origin:

Jumilla, Almansa, Rueda, Rías Baixas, VT Castilla y León, Rioja, Campo de Borja, Calatayud, Montsant, Priorat.

Red wine varieties:

Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Garnacha Tintorera, Tempranillo, Prieto Picudo, Carignan, Grenache.

White wine varieties: 

Moscatel de Grano Menudo, Verdejo, Albariño.