Climatology and Soil
The geographical location of our Denomination of Origin Almansa in the area known as “Hoya de Almansa”, means that it has very peculiar environmental characteristics.
With an altitude of between 700 and 1,100 metres above sea level, most of the vineyards are located on flat, slightly undulating terrain, although new vineyards have recently been added on hillsides and hillsides.
The orography is also quite common, with slopes of around 10% throughout the production area.
It is the altitude that makes the climate drier and more continental, a little milder than in the interior of La Mancha.
It is these climatic characteristics that impregnate our DO Almansa with a climate that is halfway between the Levant and the climate of La Mancha.
In this sense, we find hot summers, often exceeding 40ºC, and dry and cold winters and long winters that can reach, in some areas, up to -10ª C.
All this is what marks the special character of Almansa Denomination of Origin wines.
As far as rainfall is concerned, it peaks in autumn and spring, especially in the months of September to November and April to May.
In this sense, the summer drought of July and August is vital to achieve the typicity and quality of the wines that our Almansa Denomination of Origin boasts.
What are the soils of our DO Almansa like?
The soil profiles of the Almansa Denomination of Origin are generally limestone soils, with a low amount of organic matter, generally sandy in texture and with little depth. The granulometry and stoniness of the soil determine its water availability.
We have three types of soils that do not differ much from each other either, which helps to homogenize our production area, making it possible to obtain wines with high aroma and colour intensity:
The climate is also characteristic in all our context and therefore favours the similar development and growth of our vineyards.
We have a Mediterranean, continental and semi-arid climate, where the average annual temperature is between 11 and 15º (with maximums of up to 40 ºC and minimums that can reach -10 ºC), with rainfall of between 400-500 mm per year and a dry period of between 4 and 5 months. The orography is also quite common, with slopes of around 10% throughout the production area.
As far as the soil in our DO is concerned, it is mostly limestone, poor in organic matter and with little depth. We have three types of soils that do not differ much from each other, which helps to homogenize our production area, making it possible to obtain wines with high aroma and colour intensity:
- Inceptisols, located in the extreme east of our DO Almansa. They are poorly evolved soils, with erosion and sometimes not very productive.
- Entisols, in the central area of the production territory. They are characterised by being shallow and not so evolved soils.
- Aridisols, in the western area. They are more common in arid areas, with a higher concentration of soluble salts and low water availability.
