100% Uva Moscatel de Alejandria

 Place Name    Valencia

Renowned mistela made by the Valsangiacomo winery. Cuva Vella conquers once more the more influent and specialized critic, strengthen itself among the best in the world.

The mistela cuva vella 1980, of the valencian winery Valsangiacomo, continues conquering markets and prestige awards. The recent recognitions given by the magazine The Wine Advocate by Robert Parker, 93 points, and the Peñín Guide, 94 points, adds up the distinction granted at the Wines From Spain Awards, which credits it as one of the best wines of liquor in the world and one of the 10 best Spanish wines.

This way the British market recognizes the uniqueness of this wine of valencian moscatel liquor within the framework of this renowned competition, endorsed by expert tasters of the standing of Tim Atkin (Master of Wine). The aim of this competition is to choose the best Spanish wines already positioned at the British shelves in 2015.

50 cl Bottle + box

Detailed description

Making

The Cuva Vella 1980 is a very special sweet wine. It came to light almost by chance for the winery Valsan 1831 found a big old tank made of chestnut tree wood during a movement. The winery tasted the moscatel which has been aged inside since 1980 and found a just incredible wine. It was decided to bottle the first series in 2013 and in a limited way. The series consisted in 2,500 bottles of this delicious and sweet moscatel wine. Cuva Vella is made 100% from moscatel grape from Alejandría with the place name of Valencia. Is is elaborated following the traditional method of “mistelas” : the addition of alcohol partially fermented to the juice of grape. The added alcohol stops the process of fermentation and leaves 170 gr. of sugar per litre. Cuva Vella has been aged in old chestnut barrel : the Cuva Vella (old barrel in Spanish).

Cherubino wineries had at El Grao de Valencia a big barrel made of chestnut tree wood. Batches leftovers of mistelas of moscatel for being exported were thrown inside such barrel. When the company moved to the new premises in Chiva, inside the place name Valencia, took note the old tank and tasted what was inside. They found 40,000 litres of a delicious liquor wine.

The content is nowadays inside a stainless steel tank from which 2,500 litres have been removed. Hereafter the tank has been refilled with liquor of young moscatel. The oldest vintage which has been possible to credit goes back up to 1980 but, without any doubt, that old tank hosted wines from older harvests. This is one of the odd examples which can be found of this aged sweet wine and in which time has concentrated the best virtues of one of our most singular grapes.

Tasting

Chestnut colour with iodized glares. Aroma with a good intensity, complex, with marked memories to raisins, dry figs, burned caramel, arrope, café and a box of spices. Sweet palate without palling, unctuous, medium body, finds balance between acid and bitter flavours. It’s long and persistent.

Pairing

A very special wine, luxury, perfect to pair desserts accompanied by all kind of bakery and served a bit cold. But it is more surprising when combined with blue cheese like roquefort and foie whose sharp and salty flavours are on one side and fatty and bitter ones on the other side.