Campo de Borja is a Spanish Denominación de Origen

Denominación de Origen

Denominación de Origen is part of a regulatory classification system primarily for Spanish wines but also for other foodstuffs like honey, meats and condiments. In wines it parallels the hierarchical system of France and Italy although Rioja and Sherry preceded the full system...

 (DO) for wines located in the Campo de Borja

Campo de Borja

Campo de Borja is a Spanish Denominación de Origen for wines located in the Campo de Borja comarca, northwest of the province of Zaragoza...

 comarca, northwest of the province of Zaragoza

Zaragoza

Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...

 (Aragon

Aragon

Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

). It is a transition zone between the plains of the River Ebro

Ebro

The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....

 and the mountains of the Sistema Ibérico

Sistema Ibérico

The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...

.
The DO comprises 16 municipalities.
The Moncayo

Moncayo

Moncayo may refer to:*Moncayo, a mountain massif of the Sistema Ibérico*Monkayo, Compostela Valley, a municipality in the Philippines-People:*Oswaldo Moncayo, a painter from Ecuador*José Pablo Moncayo, a Mexican composer*Pedro Moncayo, a canton in Ecuador...

 mountain is the dominant feature of the DO and creates a microclimate which gives the wines a special character.

History

It is assumed that the ancient Romans introduced and developed grape-growing in this region, but the first written reference is a document in the archives of the Cistercian Monastery of Veruela which refers to donations of vineyards in the year 1203.
During the centuries of Arab domination of the Iberian Peninsula, grape and wine production decreased and only increased again after the reconquest by Christian forces.

During the course of the 15th century the successive abbots of the Veruela Monastery acquired vast quantities of land and placed it under vines. According to the monastery’s records, in 1453 they even bought an entire town (Ainzón

Ainzón

Ainzón is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 1,229 inhabitants....

) with all its fields, pastures, watercourses and vineyards.

This monastery was very influential in the development of wine production right up to the 19th century, and was responsible for the replanting and grafting of the entire area after the phylloxera

Phylloxera

Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...

 plague.
The area was finally recognised as a Denominación de Origin in 1980 when the statutes were approved.

Climate

The climate is continental, with Atlantic influences during the winter, notably a cold, dry wind from the northeast. In summer, there is a Mediterranean influence. The temperature varies a great deal, both on a daily and on a seasonal basis. Annual rainfall is very low, only about 350 mm in the low-lying areas and 450 mm in higher areas. The vineyards are planted on a series of high plateaus at heights ranging between 350 m and 750 m above sea level.

Soils

The soils are mainly dark lime-bearing soils, of average rockiness, good drainage, average level of organic matter and rich in nutrients. Closer to the Moncayo the clay and iron content increases, as does the general rockiness.

Vineyards

There are currently about 6,300 ha under vines which produce between 20 and 25 million kg of grapes. The vines are cultivated both as low bushes (en vaso) and also on trellises (en espaldera).

Grape varieties

Authorized red grapes: Garnacha

Grenache

Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...

, Tempranillo

Tempranillo

Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano , a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks...

, Mazuela

Mazuela

Mazuela is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to a 2008 estimate , the municipality has a population of 97 inhabitants. It is about 27 kilometers from Burgos, in the area southwest of the Burgos Province....

, Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...

, Merlot

Merlot

Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...

, Syrah
Authorised white grapes: Macabeo

Macabeo

Viura, also called Macabeo or Macabeu is a white variety of wine grape.It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern Spain, the Cava producing areas south of Barcelona, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France...

, Moscatel

Wines

• Whites: made with 100% Macabeo grapes. Min 11%
• Rosés: made with Garnacha grapes. Min 11%
• Young Reds: Made both as 100% Garnacha and also in combination with Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. Min 12%
• Crianzas: must be aged for at least 24 months. Min 12.5%
• Reservas: must be aged for at least 12 months in oak casks plus 24 months in the bottle. Min 12.5%
• Gran Reservas: must be aged for at least 24 months in oak casks plus 36 months in the bottle. Min 12.5%
• Others: Mistelas, dessert wines form Moscatel and sparkling wine is also produced. Min 15%

External links

http://www.campodeborja.com

http://www.winesfromspain.com
41°52′16"N 1°25′29"E