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with the Sierra de Montilla and Moriles Altos
as its most emblematic enclaves. While the
chemical composition is similar, the bedrock
in Montilla tends to be more compact and is
known as antehojuela, while its Moriles coun-
terpart is called barajuela and has a more la-
yered texture.
The barrier effect of the Sierra de Grazalema,
which blocks humid Atlantic winds, largely ex-
plains the low rainfall in Montilla-Moriles. Oro-
graphic precipitation is concentrated in that
range, and by the time the air masses reach
the Campiña Cordobesa, they are already
much drier, resulting in lower rainfall in the
area (between 500 and 1,000 mm per year).
This pattern slightly favours the higher zones
like the Sierra de Montilla or Moriles Altos, whi-
le the plains receive less water. In this context,
albariza’s capacity to retain moisture becomes
essential to support vine development through
the dry summer months.
Today, the D.O.P. Montilla-Moriles encom-
passes just over 4,000 hectares of vineyard,
spread across limestone hills and valleys be-
tween 125 and 600 metres above sea level in
southern Córdoba province. Its Mediterranean
climate comes with continental nuances, brin-
ging very hot summers, mild winters, little ra-
infall and over 2,800 hours of sunshine a year.
These conditions allow for high sugar concen-
trations without the need for extreme overri-
pening or for fortifying the wines in the cellar
when producing traditional finos.
Half a century ago, over 27,000 hectares of
vines created a mesmerising wine landsca-
pe. Today, however, the profitability of olive
oil and the global decline in wine consumption
have strengthened local oil mills while pushing
many of the region’s traditional lagares into
TOURISM WINE
disappearance. These buildings, often close to the
vineyards, were historically used for making still wi-
nes before transferring them to the bodegas—usually
located in urban centres—for ageing. It was in these
bodegas that magic sculpted the wine into delicate
finos, complex amontillados, elusive palos cortados,
opulent olorosos and rich, eternal PX.
Today, these bodegas are home to legendary wines,
aged sometimes statically (single vintage), some-
times dynamically (a blend of vintages with a mini-
mum average age), but always with depth and his-
tory. Some bottles, aged for over 100 years, may be
tasted if you have the right host. In a Montilla-Moriles
bodega, wine doesn’t just age—it learns. And it does
so at varying speeds depending on its place in the
criaderas and solera system. The barrels in the upper
tiers, where the wine is younger, evolve more quickly
due to greater exposure to air, fluctuating temperatu-
res and lower humidity. There, the wine gains charac-
ter, vibrancy and prepares to descend. As it moves
downward, evolution slows: the middle tiers refine the
balance, and in the solera, the lowest tier, the wine
settles and matures in calm. It is there that it reaches
its full potential, having completed the full cycle of
time in the cellar.
But while these wines rest, new consumer trends are
carving out space for more immediate wines, where
concentration gives way to a clearer sense of origin.
The vineyard is regaining prominence through youn-
ger wines. Reviving traditional clay jars and concrete
tanks—without abandoning modern stainless ste-
el—producers seek to understand the identity of their
most iconic vineyards, such as Cerro Macho in the
Sierra de Montilla or El Majuelo in Moriles Alto, giving
rise to their signature Pedro Ximénez whites: fresh,
spicy and saline.
Montilla-Moriles is a land where every wine tells a
story of its landscape, and every glass carries the
echo of sun, soil, grape and time.
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