Genio Espanol

About the Winery

Home to desert-like conditions in Southeast Spain, Jumilla is one of Spain’s oldest DOs. Despite resisting Europe’s first phylloxera outbreak, Jumilla vineyards were decimated nearly 100 years later and regrafted in the 1980s. This allowed winemakers to place a new focus less on bulk production and more on drought resistant grapes like Monastrell, which makes up for 80% of the regions plantings.

Familia Bastida has owned wineries throughout Spain since 1870. Their enthusiasm lies mainly with low price, high performance wines coming from small production of unique plots. Winemaker Andres Bastida travelled Jumilla for 40 years to purchase grapes for the company before his dream of wine production resulted in the launch of Genio Español.

A combination of an autumn harvest, low yield and static devatting allows for maximum extraction of the thick-skinned Monastrell. Maceration lasts about 15 days before spending four months in a 50/50 split of French and American Oak.