Legend has it that in the 13th century, King James I the Conqueror passed through the Vall dels Aforíns, an area in the southwest of Valencia (between Caudete, Fontanares, Mogente and Villena and Fuente la Higuer) that was inhabited by Muslims. The king quickly fell in love with this very beautiful place and claimed it as part of the Royal Domain.
Evidently, this whim was quickly followed by the corresponding expulsion and reconquest by the Christians, predominantly the Jesuits. This order (founded in the 16th century by Saint Ignatius of Loyola) settled here, founded a winery on the La Concepción estate and started cultivating vineyards. Today, three centuries later, the Velázquez family, the current owners of the winery, works to pay tribute to them and thank them for their legacy with their Los Frailes 1771 Casa los Frailes red wine.
Los Frailes 1771 Casa los Frailes is a natural wine made with the Monastrell variety and minimal intervention. This grape is typical of the area and grows in the 130 hectares of vineyards that the family acquired in the 18th century, when this religious order’s properties were auctioned after the expulsion decreed by Carlos III. The 13th generation of the family now continues to watch over this land and the 80-year-old vines that grow at an altitude of 650 metres in the Parcelas del Rizabal (where all the grapes used to make Los Frailes 1771 Casa los Frailes come from). This is a very special terrain, with sandy loam soils, where the bedrock is found at a greater depth. This will cause the vine to grow longer roots that will also help it retain the nutrients and moisture it needs for the summer (when the temperature reaches 35°C).
Obviously, these almost hundred-year-old vines cannot be expected to produce high yields, but they can be expected to produce high quality clusters and grapes that have to be well cared for in the winery. For this reason, Casa los Frailes cultivates all its land organically, becoming the pioneers in gaining certification 20 years ago (in 2002). These techniques, where no chemicals are used, are combined with biodynamics, a cultivation method using mainly on natural preparations and following to the lunar cycles.
In the winery, this tradition is maintained, with Los Frailes 1771 Casa los Frailes vinifying in the concrete and clay vats that were built by the Jesuits. Manual harvesting and selection, both in the vineyard and when the grapes reach the winery, is fundamental to the process. After sorting, the grapes are macerated in the must before fermentation for three days at 2°C in order to extract as many aromas as possible. However, this is not the end. After fermentation, another maceration takes place, this time for 25 days, where very gentle pumping over and fine work with the lees will be carried out.
The final touch of Los Frailes 1771 Casa los Frailes comes with the 700-litre French oak (fine grain and medium toast) where the red wine will spend 12 months. Finally, the label is added, which shows a copy of the deeds where Casa los Frailes was handed over to the Velázquez family. A whole life captured in ink that can be drunk in one gulp.