César Florido Moscatel Pasas

The César Florido bodega was founded in 1887 and is currently maintained by César Florido, a fifth-generation descendant of the founder. The winery is the oldest bodega in Chipiona, located five miles from Sanlúcar de Barrameda along the road that continues to Rota. César Florido is one of only two bodegas in Chipiona that are still operating outside of the cooperative. Although technically Chipiona lies outside the Zona de Crianza for the D.O., he makes some of the most singular wines in the area, sought out by true believers in César.

César Florido’s name is synonymous with moscatel. His moscatel is the reference point for the classic, balanced sweet wines of the zone, characterized by notes of orange blossom, jasmine, and a honeyed, raisiny palate. His village of Chipiona, with its sandy-clay soils, is well adapted to the grape variety and has the best moscatel vineyards in the region. These concentrated wines, made from shriveled grapes can acquire enormous complexity with a long period of cask aging.

Vinification – Moscatel Pasas is made in special vintages in limited quantities from grapes that were dried in the sun for up to three weeks, a process called asoleo. These raisin wines have a sweeter, darker profile with a meditative finish. All grapes are sourced from the Florido family vineyards planted on the sandy clay soils of Chipiona. After harvesting, the raisinated grapes are allowed to start a spontaneous fermentation with natural yeast, undergoing alcoholic fermentation in traditional cement vats, which provide gentle, natural temperature regulation. The fermentation is then stopped before completion with the addition of a neutral grape spirit, leaving quite a bit of natural sugar. The wine is then aged in old barrels in the solera system in his Chipiona bodega for one year.