Telmo Rodriguez Al-Muvedre 2025

Al-Muvedre pays tribute to Mediterranean Monastrell. The vineyard lies in Villena, some sixty kilometres from Alicante, in the Alicante appellation. The vines, more than 80 years old and bush-trained, take root between 400 and 600 metres above sea level in poor limestone soils, often sandy or stony. The dry, bright climate naturally limits yields and concentrates the fruit.

The grapes, from organically farmed vines, are fermented in stainless-steel tanks. The wine is then aged for several months in these same tanks, without oak, to preserve the brightness of the fruit, the natural freshness and the direct expression of the limestone terroir.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, cherry, plum, pepper, liquorice, violet, limestone, balsamic notes. The deep garnet colour heralds a generous wine. On the palate, the attack is supple, the substance dense and fresh, supported by fine tannins. The fruit dominates with tension right through to a saline finish.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.