| Produced entirely from the Monastrell grape, the black-fruit reminiscent Al-muvedre captures the spirit of the Mediterranean, showcasing the luminous expression Monastrell uniquely offers in the wines of this region. Telmo Rodriguez is one of Spain’s pioneer winemakers, advocating native grapes that intimately match the climates and conditions of their sites. Rodriguez makes world-class wines from both undiscovered and known sites, and many of his wines are rare and limited bottlings of astonishing character and quality. His everyday wines have been equally praised, and are widely recognized as tremendous wines. |
VINIFICATION
Viticulture in this region is traditionally unirrigated, and the vines are cared for by long-time winemaking families. These grapes are grown on bush vines planted in sandy loam soils, sometimes with pebbles on the surface, and harvested at yields often less than 2/3 of a ton of fruit per acre. Although this is a hot Mediterranean area, the sea has a cooling effect, resulting in a late harvest and moderate alcohol content. The grapes for this wine are all harvested by hand, and the fermentation is accomplished with indigenous natural yeasts in concrete and stainless-steel tanks to preserve the spicy character of the grape.
TASTING NOTE
| The resulting wine is a deep, blackish purple with a delicate floral nose overlapping a dried figgy meatiness. The surprisingly medium-bodied palate delivers sweet blueberries, redcurrants and a strand or two of tobacco-esque liquorice, all the while offering a vein of acidity keeping things fresh and invigorating. The finish has a soft grippiness, a touch of pepper and doesn’t want to just vanish. Iberians, Phoenicians, Romans and Moors were definitely onto a good thing in Alicante. Mr Rodriguez knows. So should you. |
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FOOD PAIRING
Pair it with pasta with meatballs in red sauce, chili dishes, cold cuts or burgers.
