Moscatel grapes for MR come from nine hectares of vaso bush-trained vines on steep schist slopes at elevations between 350 and 1000 meters, located around the village of Cómpeta in the rugged Axarquía region in Málaga. The region, facing the Mediterranean sea, with terraced vineyards on steep slate cliffs, could draw visual comparisons to Priorat in the north or Banyuls in France.
Most of the harvest is lost to dehydration, as 10 kilos of grapes are needed to produce 2.5 kilos of raisins, which yields just one liter of juice to ferment into wine. The sun-drying process, asoleo, is a tough manual job. After picking grapes on dangerous slopes with 40-60% incline, perfect and undamaged bunches are carefully placed in harvest boxes and arduously carried up the mountain to the winery, where they are carefully laid on the pasera and progressively turned to obtain homogeneous dehydration. Dehydration by sun exposure concentrates grapes in such a way that all the sugar and alcohol in the resulting wines come strictly from the grapes. Once the bunches reach the desired degree of dehydration, they are pressed with old olive oil presses, bunches being separated by grass mats.
MR is the stainless steel version of the famous sweet wines of Málaga. It is very succulent and luscious, with notes of fresh citrus, white peaches, bay leaf, orange peel, and sweet cream, and balance and energy from the outstanding acid backbone. Undoubtedly one of Spain’s essential sweet wines that will improve for a decade or more to come.
Vinification
The grapes undergo two selection processes: one in the vineyard during a manual harvest and another one in the pasero as they dry on esparto mats. Once suitably dried, the grapes are pressed, and the must is fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The fermentation process stops spontaneously, leaving around 128g/L of residual sugar. The wine then ages for ten months in stainless steel tanks before bottling.
Region
Andalucía
Appellation
Málaga
Village
Cómpeta
Site
Malacapa, Ventarral, Cerro Gourman, and Salto la Zorra
Elevation
550m
Grapes
Moscatel de Alejandría
Vine Age
Vines planted in 1962
Soil
Schist
Fermentation
Fermented with indigenous yeast in stainless steel
Aging
Ten months in stainless steel
Residual Sugar
128 g/L
Farming
Practicing Organic
Vegan
No
ABV
13%
Pack Size
12x375mL