by José Ortega y Gasset, Spanish Philosopher (c. XX)
Casa Los Frailes is named after the Jesuit Friar Order which used to lived in the house from the XVII to the XVIII century. They introduced viticulture and farming in order to produce wine for mass celebration.
Nowadays, we are still using the old clay jars and concrete tanks built by the Jesuit Friars.
The vinification, production and ageing is 100% in-house and in a single estate.
Our old winery is dated back to c. XVIII and it is made of concrete tanks (capacities varies from 110 to 260 hl). These old tanks are nowadays used for fermentation and aging our Monastrell wines, being suitable for its porosity allowing such a reductive variety as Monastrell to be micro-oxigenated.
In addition to the old concrete tanks, we also have new and modern facilities. We have a buried large room for barrels of 250 m2 surface.
Clay amphoras do exist in Casa Los Frailes back to XIII century after the Moors were expelled from the Spanish Peninsula and first vineyards were planted. Since then, the winery counts with clay amphoras buried in underground cellar.
Currently we are aging wines in those clay amphoras in order to obtain as pure as possible bouquet, in contrast with wood scents.
We respect to the utmost the characteristics of our vineyards. In the cellar, we limit our work to some battonages, small sulfites quantities before bottling and light filtering.
We try to respect as much as possible the best of our musts and wines thus following the lunar calendar in our work schedule.
Every year is a challenge, it is each vintage what makes every year singular and we simple listen to what it is happening, playing close attention to make the most of it. We implement plenty of experiences as the result of an open-minded approach to changes in mother nature.