Los Frailes Caliza

They say three is a charm. And Los Frailes Caliza is the third and final piece of the collection where Casa Los Frailes captures the estate’s different soils. Los Frailes Dolomitas and Los Frailes Rubificado are the other two wines of this trio, launched by brothers María José and Miguel Velázquez, after an extensive study of the land where their 130 hectares of vineyards grow in the Vals dels Alforins (in the southwest of the D.O. Valencia).

This decision, taken after taking over from their father Carlos Velázquez (12th generation to run the winery), has led them to release these single-vineyard wines. As the name of Los Frailes Caliza suggests, the undisputed protagonist is the limestone soil of the ‘Los Tordos’ plot. A few metres down (the depth depends on the terrain) you reach the bedrock, a hard limestone rock that retains moisture, making it easier for the vine to find the water it needs during periods of drought. This is due to the sandy and stony texture of the higher layers of the soil, which allows drainage in plentiful rainfall.

However, the essential ingredient of Los Frailes Caliza is the Monastrell, the native variety that they have most of at this winery (occupying 60% of their vineyard). These grapes grow at 650 metres above sea level, on bush-trained vines, with the majority being old vines (the oldest are 70 years old) grown on dry land. This lack of irrigation, and taking into account the area’s Mediterranean climate (with mild winters and hot, dry summers), means that production is not very high, but is great quality.

Considering these low yields, taking care of the quality of the vineyards is very important. When it comes to Casa Los Frailes, cultivation is totally biodynamic. This involves a series of non-negotiable conditions: manual labour, use of ground cover, monitoring lunar cycles... And of course no herbicides, fertilisers or chemicals! Without going any further, at Casa Los Frailes they are pioneers in organic and biodynamic cultivation, achieving certification as early as 2002.

Having put so much work into the vineyard, it would be a pity if the wine was masked in the winery and all the nuances of the Monastrell and the terroir were lost. For this reason, winemaking at Casa Los Frailes is based on native yeasts, minimal intervention, hardly any sulphur (only the amount necessary) and light filtration. The Los Frailes Caliza grapes arrive at the winery and are vinified in concrete tanks inherited directly from the Jesuit friars. At this point it is worth explaining that the origin of Casa Los Frailes is in ‘La Concepción’, an estate owned by the Jesuits that was then owned by the Crown when Charles III expelled this whole congregation from Spain. Today, these wine presses are still going and, aware of the tradition, Casa Los Frailes continues to make wine in them. Finally, once the wine has been made, Los Frailes Caliza is aged for 10 months in clay amphorae. This is mainly due to the fact that this material, unlike wood, does not impart any flavours or aromas to the wine, allowing the Monastrell grape to express itself fully, without any masks and in all its splendour.