Spain | Andalucia | Bodega Manuel Aragón | Moscatel Los Cuatro

Moscatel Los Cuatro

VARIETAL
Moscatel de Alejandría

NOTES
VINEYARD: The organic Moscatel de Alejandría vineyards in Cañadillas are planted nearest to the beach, in sandy, ocean-influenced soils (arenas) in the same direction as the Levante wind. Arenas are slightly yellowish or reddish soils with 10-20 percent chalk content with the rest being sand. Sand is more conducive to growing moscatel grapes as moscatel requires less water than palomino grapes.

VINIFICATION: Estate-grown overripe moscatel grapes are hand-picked in small baskets with great care to avoid oxidation, directly pressed, and then fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel at low temperature. The fermentation is then stopped before completion with the addition of a neutral grape spirit to 15% ABV, leaving the natural sweetness. The slow loss of water through the walls of the wooden casks facilitates the continuous process of concentration, which makes the wine gain in structure, smoothness and complexity. Manuel Aragón runs the scales in the traditional way, moving the wine through the solera manually, without mechanical pumps, utilizing gravity and the traditional tools of the canoa, jarra, sifón, and rocíador. It is cold stabilized and very lightly fined with bentonite before bottling.

“Los Cuatro” is a tribute to four historic matador friends who would gather at the bodega to share a bottle of Manuel Aragón Moscatel after their tournaments.