Wineyards

Today the vineyards of the Estate occupy an area of 280 ha. that is home to a total of 500,000 stocks, of which the Tempranillo variety represent 80%. The other 20% of stock is reserved for red grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz and for white grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Macabeo.

From the beginning of the project we focused special attention to the Tempranillo variety, for its own idiosyncrasies that make up this type of grape--its intense fruity character and expressiveness. The plots of 50 year old Tempranillo, already present in the property, were protected and preserved and they are the soul of our most renowned brands.

However, the constant interest of the family in discovering the real potential vine growing of Campo de Montiel, has led them to investigate and experiment with the most international varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay to start with and followed later by the Shiraz and Malbec varieties. All of the stocks proceed from French clones native to the best lands of the Bordeaux. Bodegas Real is supplied with its own vineyard, with an average age of only 20 years old, and that includes the oldest stocks of varieties that are non-indigenous in La Mancha.

ZONING

The Marisánchez Estate has 800 hectares of land; the area situated on the borders of the reservoir is dedicated to the cultivation of cereal, while the olive trees and vines extend to the more arid zones at the inside of the Estate. In the northeast part of the plantation the main part of the indigenous scrub can be found.

The year 1984 marks the beginning of the investigation of the grounds and zonification to find the best location for the vines within the farm. For this, they chose the lateral portion, oriented to the east, whose solar exposure and maximum altitude of 700 meters converts it to a place adequate for the red varieties, while leaving the colder zones for the white varieties of Chardonnay and Macabeo.

TYPE OF SOIL

Depending on the zoning, one can distinguish the types of ground as loose and sandy or limey and full of clay, with boulders of metamorphic rock, slate and calcareous sandstone.

There is a cap between 15 and 20% of clay and below that there is sand, that which creates a high grade of permeability.

CLIMATE

The climate is continental extreme, characterized by very cold winters and very hot, dry summers—producing at the end of a the year strong thermal oscillations. The mid-year rainfall oscillates between 350 and 400 ml/m2, following the more rainy seasons of fall and spring.

TYPE OF TRAINING SYSTEM

In some plots of land that have old grapes they preserve the system of conduction”en vaso”. Nevertheless, 90% of the plantation that originally was planted “en vaso” has been transformed over the years to the trellis system.

This was done with not only with the object of facilitating the harvesting labor but also to facilitate the already established cultivating techniques such as the grape picking in green, pruning in the green, the dawning and ventilation.

These operations only take place if they are necessary, and requires looking for a balance between the exposure to the sun and the bunches and the protection from high radiation.

IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Due to the excessive aridity of the land during the seasonal drought, from the beginning the Finca Marisánchez has established a “drip irrigation” system that feeds from two constructed rafts in the inside of the Estate and whose water comes from wells.

PRODUCTION

According to the mark of plantation, Finca Marisánchez has an average yield of 2-3 kg per vine, except in the plots exploited for sales, in which productions are higher.

Bodegas real does not produce all it could and has available at the moment, as we are waiting until the harvest has the sufficient vigour and strength it will gain in 10 years. Nevertheless, we are prepared for the gradual growth of demand in the coming future.