Wine description
Don Joseph is the name of our ancestor, written exactly as it appears in the deed of Casa Los Frailes purchase at a public auction in 1771. Sweet wines have a long tradition in our region, and with this name, we pay homage to our forefather’s enduring legacy.
This wine emerged from the discovery of a vineyard plot with a sea-facing orientation that provided ideal conditions to get the noble rot of the Muscat grapes (botrytized grapes). After years of experimentation, exploring methods from Sauternes to Tokay, we found that the macerating and fermentation of these botrytized grapes into a still wine Moscatell (early harvest) achieved a perfect balance between sweetness and acidity. This balance is what makes Don Joseph Moscatell so exceptional, resulting in an exquisite and elegant wine.

Soils
Located on a plot named ‘Las Brumas’ facing the Mediterranean Sea, this vineyard sits at an elevation of 650 meters. Thanks to its orientation, during the months of September through November, the sea mists envelop it overnight, lingering until midday, These unique conditions foster the development of noble rot (botrytis) in the Moscatel vines. The vineyards boast 20 years of age in dry farming.

Vinification

During the first weeks of August, a first harvest of Moscatell grapes is done, fermenting them into dry wine. In October, a second harvest is conduced, ,where some grapes are still slightly overripe, preserving fresher aromas; some fully overripe grapes with notes of dried fruits, apricots, and quince; and fully botrytized grapes, exhibiting a much higher aromatic intensity, characterized by candied citrus notes.

These grape clusters undergo a 48-hour maceration period into the Moscatel dry wine from the initial harvest (using a ratio of 1 kg of grapes to 1 liter of Moscatel wine).Following this, we employ a slow, 24-hour pressing process without crushing, carefully separating the different press fractions until we achieve the sweetest and richest bacth. Each batch is then transferred to 54-liter demijohns, where a leisurely second fermentation of the sugars extracted from the botrytized grapes occurs over the course of 9 months. Once this process is complete, the wine is aged for an additional 3 years in the same demijohns. Each demijohn yields a wine with a unique balance between sugar and acidity.

Vintage 2019
Let´s say that 2019 was a challenge year and it
will be remembered as the DANA year. The
year started with a moderate winter with low
rains about 80 mm and very low temperatures.
It was just in Spring when very precise and
well distributed rains came about 167 mm.
Thanks to these rains, the vineyard grew very
strong and vigorous, forcing an extreme green
pruning to reserve some forces for the end of
the cycle.
As usual during the summer, the
Mediterranean breezes created a humidity fog
in the morning which reduces the number of
sunlight hours and giving a break to the
vineyards.

But the 11th September a huge storm called
DANA arrived, leaving about 235 mm in 4
days.
Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdil, Syrah,
Marselan, Garnacha Tintorera were already
in.
After this, the rain stopped for two months and
a second harvest of the Muscat was possible.
The sea mists and humidity conditions foster
the development of noble rot i(botrytis) in the
the Moscatel vines.

Technical information
Variety
100% Moscatel
Yield: 400 kgs/hectare

Dry, organic and biodynamic agriculture

Robert Parker

Alcohol: 13%
Residual sugar: 150gr/litro