Ribera del Júcar
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The Ribera del Júcar Denominación de Origen (DO) is located in the province of Cuenca (Castile-La Mancha, Spain) along the banks of the River Júcar and covers 7 municipalities.
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[edit] History
Grapes have been grown and wine produced in this area for centuries but DO status was acquired only in 2003, making Ribera de Júcar the youngest DO in Spain.
[edit] Climate
The climate is Mediterranean continental with sharp contrasts between summer and winter temperatures. The average temperature is 24°C in summer and 5°C in winter. Rainfall is sparse, around 350 mm/year.
[edit] Soil
The area covered by the DO (9,141 ha) is located on a plateau of pebbly soil at an altitude of 750 m above sea level along the banks of the River Júcar. The drainage is good in that rainwater can penetrate through the top pebbly layer down to the clay subsoil where it is retained.
[edit] Grape Varieties
The authorised red varieties are the traditional Tempranillo (known as Cencibel in the area) and Bobal, in addition to the varieties recently imported from France Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The authorised white varieties are Moscatel and Suvignon Blanc. The maximum authorised production is 9,000 kg/ha for low bush vines and 10,000 kg/ha for vines on trellises. Around 40% of the vines are over 20 years old.
