Bodegas El Nido

Bodegas El Nido is a Spanish winery in the Jumilla DO of Murcia. It is a joint venture between Gil Family Wine Estates, a Spanish winemaking family whose most famous estate is Bodegas Juan Gil, and esteemed Australian winemaker Chris Ringland. El Nido focuses on a small production of premium red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell. The wines have received critical praise including consistently high scores from critic Robert Parker.

The partnership between Ringland and the Gil family began in 2001, and produced the inaugural vintage of El Nido a year later. The winery is located in the Aragona Valley inside Jumilla, where the high-altitude vineyards are planted on northeast-facing terraces between 2300-2800ft (700-850m) above sea level. 32 hectares (80 acres) are planted to Monastrell, 12ha (30 acres) to Cabernet Sauvignon and a tiny plot is planted to Syrah.

El Nido makes three wines all at premium prices. The two most prominent wines are blends of Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon – each as the dominant variety. The third is a small production wine made from 100 percent Syrah. All three wines are finished with long periods of barrel aging in new French and American oak, averaging two years for each. Bodegas El Nido's total annual production is small at roughly 2,500 cases.