89/100 Tim Aitken. Oozing with bright cherry and blackberry fruit, it has an absolutely delicious nose. The palate is bright, rich and round but also very fresh, with supple tannins and just a gentle rosemary twist on the finish.

This red is 100% Monastrell, cultivated organically in chalky limestone soils at around 700 metres altitude in Jumilla. Low rainfall and plenty of sunshine are perfect for this variety. Though innovative viticultural techniques aid in helping this wine to be crafted to a fresher style, importantly, Juan Gil have worked with selected yeasts to create a wine that is low in histamines. Histamines are a naturally occuring part of fermented food and drinks which a small number of people are allergic to. In addition, as the winery do not use the commonly added preservative SO2, this can be a wine recommended to those who suffer from allergies. Because SO2 is a preservative, the wine has to be handled very carefully to prevent oxidadtion and this informs the very fresh and elegant style of Monastrell you have in the glass with this wine.

This is has no added sulphites and a low histamine content, as well as being vegan-friendly and organic, which is going to make it suitable for people for whom many wines are not, but you don’t need to fall into a special category to enjoy it. An attractive, relatively light style of Monastrell (which can come pretty big in this southeast corner of Spain), it has plummy fruit, a black-pepper twist and a crisp, slightly salty tang. Joanna Simon ‘Festive Red Wine Guide’(November 2025)