Altos de Luzón 2024: a vintage that showcases the strength of Monastrell and the character of Jumilla
There are years that put the vineyard to the test, and others that allow us to see just how far it can go when nature grants a brief respite. The 2024 vintage of Altos de Luzón belongs to the latter category. Not because it was an easy year – far from it – but because it has allowed our vines to express, with greater precision, the personality of a unique terroir: the DOP Jumilla.
After several vintages marked by a lack of rainfall, 2024 brought a slight respite for our vineyards. We are not talking about a rainy year, but rather a vintage in which the rain came at just the right time to aid the vines’ development without altering the extreme character that defines this landscape. The result is a Monastrell red wine with greater structure, increased complexity and an elegance that makes this new vintage one of the most interesting of recent years.
A campaign characterised by balance
The story of a great wine always begins long before the harvest. In the case of Altos de Luzón 2024, the growing season was shaped by a cold, dry winter that even brought a brief spell of snow. This was followed by a wetter spring, providing enough rain for the water to penetrate deep into the soil and replenish soils that had long been suffering from a lack of rainfall.
That moisture proved vital for the vineyard’s development. However, nature once again reminded us of where we are. Summer returned to the typical characteristics of the Mediterranean climate of south-eastern Spain: dry, hot and with high temperatures.
Even so, the ripening of the Monastrell grapes was surprisingly slow and thorough. Far from speeding up the process, September brought milder-than-usual temperatures, slightly delaying the harvest and allowing us to work at a much more leisurely pace.
That pause proved decisive. It allowed us to carefully select each bunch and harvest each plot at its optimum stage of ripeness – an essential aspect when seeking to produce a wine that faithfully reflects the character of the terroir.
Less quantity, more personality
Although the rainfall favoured the vines’ vegetative growth, yields remained very low. The vines channelled much of their energy into rebuilding their structure and woody tissue, rather than increasing grape production.
Far from viewing this as a drawback, this behaviour in the vineyard usually results in greater fruit concentration and wines with a much more distinct identity.
Consequently, the 2024 vintage has a profile that is clearly distinct from that of 2023. We find a more structured wine, with greater vigour, superior complexity and a balance that demonstrates the enormous potential of Monastrell grown at high altitude.
A wine that speaks of the landscape
With each new vintage of Altos de Luzón, we pay tribute to the identity of the Jumilla region. Our vines grow at an average altitude of around 650 metres, in an environment where the climate is extreme and the calcareous soils force the vines to strive each year.
It is precisely this challenge that makes Monastrell such an exceptional grape variety. Having adapted to these conditions over centuries, it responds by producing wines with character, depth and an extraordinary ability to convey their terroir.
These characteristics are clearly evident in Altos de Luzón 2024. The mineral and chalky notes are very pronounced, imparting a sensation of freshness and tension that runs throughout the tasting. It is a deeply Mediterranean wine, yet at the same time elegant and refined.
The winemaking process: attention to every detail
The quality of a great wine begins in the vineyard, but continues in the winery.
The grapes destined for Altos de Luzón 2024 are harvested by hand into small crates weighing between 10 and 15 kilos to preserve their integrity. Upon arrival at the winery, they are kept for 24 hours in a cold store at 6 ºC before undergoing a thorough sorting process, from which only the finest berries are selected.
Fermentation takes place over eight to ten days at a temperature not exceeding 24–26 ºC, followed by maceration on the skins for between ten and fifteen days to extract the full aromatic and structural richness of the fruit.
Finally, the wine is aged for twelve months in French and American oak barrels, where it rounds out its character without overshadowing the prominence of the fruit or the expression of the terroir.
Así es Altos de Luzón 2024
At first glance, it displays an intense, deep red colour with ruby highlights that hint at its concentration.
On the nose, aromas of red and black fruits stand out, accompanied by delicate notes of sweet spices and subtle smoky hints from the ageing process.
It is on the palate that this new vintage reveals its full personality. The freshness characteristic of the vintage underpins a full-bodied and voluminous mouthfeel, whilst the fine, sweet tannins lend a particularly elegant texture. The finish is long and persistent, revealing a complexity superior to that of the previous vintage.
Overall, this is an elegant, balanced red wine with an extra touch of intensity compared to the 2023 vintage, capable of combining power and delicacy without ever losing the identity that characterises Altos de Luzón.
A tribute to the essence of Jumilla
Every bottle of Altos de Luzón aims to tell a story: that of vines that thrive in extreme conditions, that of a grape variety which finds its finest expression here, and that of an approach to viticulture based on respect for the landscape.
The 2024 vintage perfectly embodies this philosophy. A wine born of patience, meticulous work in the vineyard and a careful harvest that allowed only the very best fruit to be selected.
Because there are vintages that simply come and go… and others, like Altos de Luzón 2024, that linger in the memory from the very first sip.