Baja Montaña

Location

In the east of Navarre, bordering with Aragon. Main town: Sangüesa.

Landscape

A zone marked by a pronounced relief, with abundant low wood vegetation. The few areas of cultivable land are dominated by vineyards.

Surface area

2,417 hectares.

Main varieties grown

Practically only red wine varieties, principally Garnacha (more than 60%) and Tempranillo (25%)

Soils

The zone comprises a mixture of soils, depending on relief and rock type. On the northern most slopes the soils are of a varying depth, free from stones, and heavy textured on the grey marls of the marine Eocene period in the Lumbier basin. On the remaining slopes the soil thickness and stoniness varies, with fine or silty loam textures on alternate marl and sand layers of the continental tertiary of the Ebro valley. Finally, there is the flat land on the valley floors and on the remains of the alluvial terraces of the Irati and Aragon rivers, land which is frequently characterised by abundant round gravel providing deep, loamy soils and excellent drainage for the vineyards.

Climate

This zone is located between the sub-humid zone to the north and the high, dry zone to the south with mean annual precipitation variations ranging from 470 to 760 mm. As a result of the differences in altitude, the favourable vegetation periods for the vineyards range between 205 days in Lerga and 234 in San Martín de Unx. This zone is the one most influenced by the Pyrenees.

Municipal districts and councils

Aibar, Cáseda, Eslava, Ezprogui, Gallipienzo, Javier, Leache, Lerga, Liédena, Lumbier, Sada, Sangüesa, San Martín de Unx, Ujué and the Councils of Arboniés and Domeño in the Romanzado Valley and the Councils of Rípodas, San Vicente and Tabar in the Urraul Bajo Valley.