THE AWARDS ARE SHARED AMONG 7 WINERIES, WITH BODEGAS LUZÓN RECEIVING 4 AWARDS
Jumilla, June 25th, 2026. Last Thursday, the 12 winning wines of the 32nd Jumilla Wine Challenge were announced at a ceremony that brought together around 270 people from the sector in the Pio XII Halls of Santa Ana del Monte, and where journalist Lourdes Gómez Navarro served as master of ceremonies.
The competition’s jury, composed of sommeliers, winemakers, educators, and communicators, awarded 12 gold medals to the highest-scoring wines in each category that exceeded 90 points, in addition to two Special Mentions: one for Best Monastrell Wine and another for Best Organic Wine. In this competition, 26 wines surpassed the 90-point mark, with 12 receiving awards.
Bodegas Luzón took home 4 awards, and its Luzón Colección Monastrell organic 2025 wine was the undisputed star of the evening, winning 3 trophies: Best Unoaked Red Wine and Special Mentions for Best Organic Wine and Best Monastrell Wine. Additionally, Bodegas San Dionisio, Bodegas Bleda, and Bodegas Alceño each received two awards.
The remaining awards were distributed among Bodegas Salzillo, Bodegas Delampa, Bodegas Carchelo, and Bodegas BSI, with one award each.
Representatives from the regional governments of Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha attended the gala. The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the governing body of the Jumilla PDO due to its multi-regional nature, was also represented by Marta Garrido, Deputy Director General of the Sub-Directorate General for Food Quality Control and Agri-food Laboratories, who addressed the attendees.
From Murcia, the new Minister of Water, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Region of Murcia, Joaquín Buendía Gómez, attended, accompanied by Fulgencio Pérez Hernández, Director General of the Food Industry, Andrés Martínez Bastida, Director of the Murcian Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research and Development, and representing the Tourism Development part, Juan Francisco Martínez Carrasco, Director of the Tourism Institute of the Region of Murcia.
From the government of Castilla-La Mancha, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Julián Martínez Lizán, attended, along with the Director General of Agri-food Production and Cooperatives, Elena Escobar, as well as the Provincial Delegate of Agriculture in Albacete, Ramón Sáez, and the Member of Parliament for Albacete, José Antonio Gómez Moreno.
The mayors of the municipalities within the Jumilla PDO (Protected Designation of Origin): Fuente-Álamo, Hellín, Ontur, Albatana, and Montealegre del Castillo, were also present at the annual event, which, of course, also included the mayor of Jumilla, the host city of the ceremony. Some of this year’s tasters—Esperanza Andreo, Diego Cutillas, Álvaro de Miguel, Eva López, Antonio Caravaca, and Juan Corredor—were also able to join the wineries at the ceremony.
In his speech, Silvano García, president of the Jumilla PDO Regulatory Board, reviewed his seven years as president, looking at his entire term’ highlights.
The gala was marked by the wine sector’s clear opposition to the construction of a large landfill in Fuente-Álamo, as well as to other environmental threats of various kinds looming over the region: the biogas plant in Tobarra, the large-scale livestock farms in several outlying districts, and the transformation of the landscape with non-native crops or the installation of large-scale solar power plants. All of these projects would have a very negative impact on the Jumilla PDO territory.
The Awards
The wines awarded at the 32nd Jumilla Wine Challenge were:
Best White Wines
- Alceño Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Fermented 2024, Bodegas Alceño
- Mainetes Verdejo Barrel Fermented 2025 Organic, Bodegas San Dionisio
Best Rosé Wines
- Alceño Rosé 2025, Bodegas Alceño
- SF Monastrell Rosé Organic 2025, Bodegas San Dionisio
Best Young Red Wines
- Luzón Colección Monastrell Organic 2025, Bodegas Luzón
- Hacienda Salzillo 2025, Bodegas Salzillo
Best Red Wines Aged in Oak for Up to 6 Months
- Delampa Autor 2024, Bodegas Delampa
- Pino Doncel Black 2025, Bodegas Bleda
Best Red Wines Aged in Oak for 6 Months or More
- Origen de Luzón Syrah 2024, Bodegas Luzón
- Muri Veteres 2022, Bodegas Carchelo
Best Sweet Wines
- Lacrima Christi, Bodegas BSI
- Amatus 2023, Bodegas Bleda
SPECIAL MENTION
The naturally sweet wine Lacrima Christi from Bodegas BSI was once again the top-rated wine of the competition. Regarding still wines, the highest-scoring wine was the Luzón Colección Monastrell organic 2025, the undisputed star of the night.
FOR BEST MONASTRELL WINE
- Luzón Colección Monastrell Organic 2025, Bodegas Luzón
FOR BEST ORGANIC WINE
- Luzón Colección Monastrell Organic 2025, Bodegas Luzón
About Jumilla Wine Challenge
Jumilla Wine Challenge celebrates its 32nd edition in 2026. It is one of the oldest in Spain, recognized since its inception by the Ministry of Agriculture, and was created to highlight the quality of wines bottled in the Jumilla PDO at a time when bulk wine predominated.
Currently, this Competition reflects the Jumilla PDO, and most of the wineries belonging to this Designation of Origin participate regularly. Staff from the Regulatory Board visit the wineries for the rigorous process of collecting the submitted samples. Over two days of blind tasting, approximately 150 samples are examined by a panel of expert tasters. This gives the Competition its own unique identity, as the tasting panel’s judgment accurately reflects market demands for quality.
The main objective of this competition is to recognize the quality of wines produced in the Jumilla PDO, as well as to highlight the true queen of this region, the Monastrell grape, and organic farming, which predominates in the Jumilla PDO. To this end, a Special Mention will be awarded to the Best Monastrell Wine and a Special Mention to the Best Organic Wine of the competition.
About the Jumilla Protected Designation of Origin
The Terroir of Jumilla: Timeless and Resilient
DOP Jumilla’s winemaking legacy dates back to 3000 BCE, some of the oldest vineyards in Europe. The climatic characteristics, with scarce rainfall of barely 300 mm per year and more than 3,000 hours of sunshine, provide ideal conditions for organic farming, which is the predominant practice in this designation of origin.
More than 20,000 hectares of vineyards, mostly dryland and bush-shaped, located on predominantly limestone soils. The total number of old vineyards in the Jumilla DOP accounts for more than 20% of the area, with the Monastrell variety being the majority (90% of the old vines). It is estimated that a large part of this old vine is planted ungrafted, at least 1,000 hectares, with 89% being Monastrell, 6% Airén, and 3% Garnacha Tintorera.
A Call to Protection of dryland vineyards and old vines
During the Gala, Silvano García, President of the DOP Jumilla Regulatory Council, called for greater protection of dryland vineyards and old vines, stressing their role in maintaining the region’s land, biodiversity and cultural identity. He highlighted the urgent need to protect these unique ecosystems and requested increased support from governmental authorities to ensure these dryland vineyards and old vines can be properly protected and developed sustainably.
DOP Jumilla’s vision extends beyond excellence in wine – it is a model of sustainability, tradition, and deep respect for nature. Join us in celebrating this year’s winners and safeguarding the living heritage of DOP Jumilla, one of the oldest wine regions in Spain and Europe. Find out more about Jumilla
