D.O. Almansa: OUR DNA
Bodegas Piqueras is located within the Almansa D.O., on a high plateau located in the south-east of Albacete province, in the Castilla-La Mancha region in Spain. This is the God-given spot where we tend and nurture the land and the grapes it proffers.
The D.O. Almansa wine production area borders the Murcia region and the provinces of Alicante and Valencia by virtue of the Almansa corridor. It consists of 8 municipalities: Almansa, Alpera, Bonete, Corral-Rubio, Higueruela, Hoya-Gonzalo, Pétrola and the locality of Villar de Chinchilla, with the town of Almansa as the centre of the appellation.
Mario Bonete, married to Luisa Piqueras, head of the second generation to helm Bodegas Piqueras, was the founding father of the Almansa Designation of Origin and its first president. The course he set was followed by many Spanish wineries towards the end of the 20th century and at the start of the 21st.
WINEGROWERS
WINERIES
MUNICIPALITIES
HECTARES
TERROIR
A land rich in aromas and colours
Our appellation’s soil is rich in limestone and poor in organic matter, intersperse with areas of stony soil and scant subsoil alongside others that are deeper and sandier. Although most of the vineyards are located on flat land, it is not uncommon to see vineyards on the hillsides.
The vineyards are located on flat land characterised by permeable, chalky and nutrient-poor soils, ideal conditions for the production of quality wines.
Founding of the Almansa D.O.
1966
Vineyard extension
Over 9,000 hectares under vine
Altitude
Between 700 and 1,100 metres above sea level
Soil
Limestone soil rich in calcium carbonate
The Almansa D.O. currently consists of
11 wineries, with 20% of production sold domestically and 80% exported to more than 45 countries.
CLIMATE
A perfect climate for monitoring the winemaking process and cherishing the land.
The climate of the Almansa D.O. is both Mediterranean and continental, with contrasting temperatures that range from highs of 38 °C in summer to -6 °C in winter.
Rainfall is scarce, with annual averages below 350 mm. This lack of rainfall, along with poor soil drainage, results in low fruit production, giving the wines aromatic intensity and great depth of colour.
The semi-arid continental climate of the Almansa D.O. and the poor nutrient levels of its soil mean that the grapevines self-regulate their production of fruit, resulting in grapes with a higher concentration of colour, tannins and aromatic richness for red wines.
The altitude above sea level means that, during the ripening period, the contrast between night-time and daytime temperatures is very pronounced.
An ideal climate for the production of high-quality grapes and wines of great character.
