La Casa de la Seda, Finca el Serrano Monastrell and Murviedro Colección Gran Reserva: The influential American critic once again places Murviedro wines among the best in Spain
Requena (Valencia), 4 June 2023.- James Suckling has once again singled out Murviedro, giving outstanding scores to its iconic wines, including La Casa de la Seda, Finca el Serrano Monastrell and Murviedro Colección Gran Reserva.
La Casa de la Seda 2021 (PDO Utiel-Requena) receives a magnificent 90 points. This is Murviedro’s most carefully made wine, produced from Bobal grapes from the hundred-year-old vineyards of the El Ardal estate. The grapes are grown and the wine is made under the principles of minimal intervention to give to the wine the characteristics of its environment, its landscape and the weather conditions of its vintage year. It is fermented with wild yeasts. La Casa de la Seda is also aged in a very special way. It is made almost equally in French oak foudres, a 37-arroba clay jar and an ovoid concrete tank.
Suckling appreciates this wine as “Very ripe, with dried figs and some jammy fruit, peppercorn, star anise, dried flowers and black chocolate. Some tree bark and Chinese herbal medicine on the palate, rounded by firm tannins”.
Finca el Serrano Monastrell 2020 (PDO Alicante) achieves an outstanding rating of 91 points. It is made with the queen of Mediterranean black grapes, which gives it the silky, easy-drinking character of well-ripened fruit. This Monastrell comes from a single parcel with chalky soil, very poor in organic matter and ideal for obtaining excellent quality wines. Its low production guarantees bunches with highly concentrated sugars and acidity.
As the grapes are in perfect health, fermentation begins spontaneously in a stainless steel tank with its wild yeasts. The wine is aged for six months in French oak foudres.
Suckling describes its sensations in the nose as “fine sweet spices and walnuts, vibrant red cherries and berries. The medium- to full-bodied palate shows some chalky tannins, coated by juicy, generous berries”.
Murviedro Colección Gran Reserva 2015 (PDO Valencia). This a classic wine, fine and well polished by the passage of time, has achieved the notable rating of 91 points. It is made with Tempranillo, Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon, a persistent Gran Reserva with a good structure, aged for a minimum of 36 months in barrels.
Suckling has been captivated by its “notes of cigar box, spiced cherries, mocha and prunes. Flavorful, with a full body and nicely mellowed, silky tannins. Tasty salty spice character. Drink now or hold”.