Water is the key for obtaining the best wine.

Water is the key. The irrigation of vines, just like the soil, until recent times, was taken into sufficient consideration at the stage of obtaining wines of quality.

Studies of vineyard irrigation

 Thanks to the initiative of wineries like ours, it has been possible to study in great depth, an aspect which has grown to be patently fundamental. Issues, like the asperity of water, have shown to be able to affect the stage of giving nuances to the wines. For that reason, in Hacienda del Carche, we have always placed ourselves in a position where we are fully aware of the sorts of elements that encompass the Jumillan wines which we produce, and which are ultimately our most precious treasure.

Therefore, we ought to start by making a brief introduction regarding the aspects, within the makeup of the water in general, which have the most potent effect on the stage of interaction with the wines, and in the second section, we will go through a detailed analysis of the conditions of the water and aquifer reservoirs which are present in the area of Carche de Jumilla. We predict that the conclusions which we can take away from this will surprise you.

To start, the factor which most influences the wine from the irrigation is the acerbity of the water. To achieve a suitable PH  level is no easy task. In regions where the water is soft, the acidity of the grape is shown to be very mild. Too much, in fact. In these regions, it is difficult to find a wine that can possess sufficient character to be considered a player among the best wines.

However, in areas where the water is too hard, the wine shows it, not producing enough fruit, with an acidity that is too emphatic. Certainly this is what tends to occur: for example, in the coastal areas, where the water is too hard. However, the quality of repositories in Carche de Jumilla area is proven to be excellent. Thanks to past generations and the care and effort we have applied to our job, the quality in Murcia has proven to be, as if a guarantee, of the results which it offers up. As you will be well aware, our region is specially renowned for the quantity and quality of its agriculture. Our wines are no different.

The perfect equilibrium, in between an acerbity that is too soft and one that is too hard, gives to our land wines of quality which we are able to distribute

The grape doesn’t perform miracles.

Up till this point, the influence of the vine’s irrigation is important, as a good grape can lose all its characteristics if it isn’t irrigated with water of an adequate composition. This occurs specifically with foreign grapes such as the Cabernet Sauvignon or a Syrrah.

In the case of this last one, the effect is even more pronounced. If for example, the hardness of the watered is excessive, all its nuances (which naturally give this particular vintage its value) will be lost through negligence at the point of choosing what water to irrigate it with. For that reason, it is highly advantageous to select a composition of water that will be best for the purposes of irrigation, which numerous scientific studies endorse as they have been doing over the past few years.

Therefore, the correct treatment of water, where necessary, has become an essential practice. Already measures have been taken in this regard, in order to maximise fully the potential of that which is able to offer us a vineyard. To not take into account difficulties which require a supply of irrigation can result in our vines suffering what is called “Hydric stress”; this will affect the taste and intensity of the wine which we want to preserve.

There is a perfect equilibrium between the type of water and the irrigation: the hydric deficit can produce a superior quality in wine if it is handled properly. It will reduce the growth of the plant and as a result its fruits will receive more sunlight, namely the bunches of grapes.

The result will be that said fruits will increase the production of the so-called “Polyphenols”, and it will improve an aspect as important as the density. As we’ve already discussed, when we were talking about the ground, this critical part of irrigation is added to the quality of the soil, high in limestone content, ideal for the cultivation of our vines, since it simultaneously contributes to the intensity of their flavour.

We are saying that, in addition, with 60% reductions in water supply we can achieve a better caliber of wine. As one can see, not only the type of water (perfect in the case of our region for the cultivation of wine) but also the quantity of irrigation have an influence on the quantity of grapes.

Of late, our tradition as producers of Jumillan wine backs us in this regard. At the end of the day, science has certified something which we have been doing for a long time, as a result of pure trial and error.

True, a reduction in the quantity of water irrigation does have negative repercussions on the quantity of production. However, on the whole, vineyards of a lesser quality are those that are watered more. It is for this reason that the area of Carche de Jumilla, with a dry climate, an insignificant amount of precipitation and a low humidity has proven to be an ideal space for the plantation of vines.

Regarding the wines which we have planted most recently, and which join those stretching back near to 100 years, all these processes and conditions have been taken into account in order to obtain the best performance and wines of quality, instead of a much larger yield. For that reason, water has proved to be a crucial element in the stage of development regarding vine-plants. What’s more, the terroir was not thought to have such importance until only recently.

In addition, the region of Murcia in general, and especially so in the area of Carche de Jumilla, possess an ample supply of aquifers and underground reservoirs. Their limestone content favours this life, and is thereby responsible for the ideal concentration of lime in our waters.