Al-Muvedre | Alicante

Telmo Rodríguez, and his business partner Pablo Eguzkia, established the Al-Muvedre project in 2001 after an eye-opening trip to Alicante. Here, they discovered a treasure trove of overlooked old vines and a rich viticultural history. This ancient wine-growing region was once best known for its sweet wines. During the 16th Century, Alicante’s ‘rancio’ wines rivalled the finest sherries and ports, while in the 19th Century, its vineyards initially avoided the decimation of phylloxera. As a result, Alicante thrived during a period when many European wines were in severe decline. However, as phylloxera eventually arrived and sweet wines went out of fashion, the golden age of Alicante wines came to a swift end.

Despite this decline, the region has remained home to a wealth of exceptional old vine Monastrell. Also known as Mourvèdre, Monastrell thrives in Mediterranean climates and finds a natural home in Alicante's rugged, mountainous landscape. Before Telmo and Pablo’s initial trip, the president of the International Wine Academy, Dr Parce, told them that the best Mourvèdre he had drank in his life was from Alicante. The duo quickly understood why, becoming enamoured with the Monastrell vines they found flourishing in the region. Planted on poor, calcareous soils comprised of sandy loam with heat-retaining pebbles on their surface, these low-yielding vines produce deeply flavoured wines with a distinctive sense of place. The Al-Muvedre project seeks to reflect this. Producing just one exceptional Monastrell, in the words of Telmo and Pablo, “Al-Muvedre represents the spirit of the Mediterranean.”