New wines from Valencia. I discovered these some 3 years ago and visited them in Spring 2022. This is a lovely juicy, almost rustic, yet delicious red. Made from roughly 60% Bonicaire and 40% Monastrell- Gobelet-trained, vines are cultivated in the Lloma Rasa vineyard at 500-550 metres altitude. Bonicaire grows in poor, sandy loam soil, and Monastrell in sandy-limestone soil, with a 2 metre deep limestone crust. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel at 24-26ºC of the whole bunches, including stems, for 20 days. After pressing the wine completes fermentation in a combination of large oak barrels, amphora and concrete tanks - where it then remains for a time on fine lees.
"The 2022 La Lloma is their young red from old vines, a blend of 60% Bonicaire and 40% Monastrell from head-pruned vines planted in 1946 and 1979 that they took over six years ago and had to recover. The varieties fermented separately, the Bonicaire with 100% full clusters and carbonic maceration and the Monastrell with 30% full clusters, and then they aged separately in used 500-liter barrels for two months before being blended and put back in barrel for another four months. It has 13.56% alcohol and notable freshness and acidity, with a spectacular nose, perfumed, floral, fresh and elegant, and a medium-bodied palate, fine-boned, with chalky tannins and very good grip. It's superb, and a really good value too." 93pts Luis Gutiérrez The Wine Advocate
