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Yecla, once a farming town and today a furniture-making centre, is surrounded by nearly 13,500 hectares of vineyards. Of these, one-third are classified for making DO wines.
The quiet, slow revolution, pioneered by small private wineries and cooperatives here in the mid-1980s , has allowed the area to start producing red wines made with temperature-controlled stainless steel equipment. Thanks to this special effort, those fortified wines of the past have now become much more balanced, and have gained enormously in aromatic complexity.
The low yields give concentrated wines with great potential. The number of vineyards registered with the Regulatory Council is steadily increasing, a clear indication of local producers’ interest in quality. Some wines have already won their place among the most prestigious in the Spanish winemaking world, and one of Spain's largest cooperatives is located here.
Although there are no subzones, the Campo Arriba district is outstanding for producing grapes with a higher extract than other DO areas.
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Fact file
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CRDO address:
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Francisco Antonio Jimenez, s/n. Poligono Urbeyecla II
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30510 Yecla
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Murcia
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Spain
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DO established
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19JUN75
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Last updated
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2002
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Telephone
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+34-968-792-352
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Fax
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+34-968-792-352
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E-mail
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info@yeclavino.com
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Website
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www.yeclavino.com
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Vineyards:
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Subzones
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-
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Area under vine
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4,300 ha
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Area in full production
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-
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Altitude of vineyards
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400-800 m
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Soil types
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Limestone, with deep grounds and good permeability
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Principal grapes (w)
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Airen, Merseguera, Macabeo, Malvasia, Chardonay
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Principal grapes (r)
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Monastrell, Garnacha tinta, Garnacha tintorera, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah.
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Permitted grapes (w)
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-
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Permitted grapes (r)
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-
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Experimental grapes (w)
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Petit Verdot
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Experimental grapes (r)
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-
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Organic viticulture
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200 ha
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Climate:
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Max. summer temp.
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40ºC
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Min. Winter temp.
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-5ºC
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Average rainfall
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300 mm annually
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Average sunshine
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3,000 horas annually
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Production:
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Maximum crop
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7,000 Kg/ha
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Yield
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74%
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Equivalent hl/ha
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52 hl/ha
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Production 2001 (hl)
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17.200
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Production 2002 (hl)
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28.240
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Production 2003 (hl)
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32.033
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Production 2004 (hl)
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42.160
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Production 2005 (hl)
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43.450
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Wine alcohol content:
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White
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10.5%
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Pink
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11%
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Red
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11.5%
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Other
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sparkling: 11.5% licor 15%-22%
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Ageing in oak:
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Crianza
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6 months oak, 18 months bottle
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Reserva
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12 months oak, 24 months bottle
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Gran Reserva
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24 months oak, 36 months bottle
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Wineries:
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Number of Wineries
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6
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Total exports - 2001
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14.015
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Total exports - 2002
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22.888
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Total exports - 2003
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22.604
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Total exports - 2002
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27.028
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Total exports - 2003
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24.061
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