The Wines of Masos, August 2021
Having gone off piste recently with a tasting report on seven wines from Il Quinto in Tuscany, I am doing the same today with a quick report on two wines from a new project in Spain. Masos was established from scratch by the Vidal brothers with the planting of the Mas de la Mona vineyard in the Valle de Guadalest, high in the hills above Benidorm. Old terraces were cleared, and a vineyard planted with advice from Antoine Médeville, of Oenoconseil, one of Bordeaux’s leading consultancies.
The varieties planted are a mix of international and those with a little more local history. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot both have a new home here, so it perhaps made sense to enlist the help of Antoine, but there is also Garnacha Tintorera (also known as Alicante Bouschet – so what else should you plant in Alicante?) and Monastrell (which also goes by the name Mourvèdre, of course), and more plantings with other less commonly encountered varieties is to follow. At present there are just 5.5 hectares established, but there are plenty of other abandoned terraces nearby, and the potential for expansion is obvious.
Antoine recently sent me two samples of their work in Alicante.
The Wines
Starting with the 2020 Albor de Mesa, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Tintorera and Monastrell possesses a rather cool, delicate and almost crystalline character which initially took me by surprise. The altitude of these vineyards is 560 metres above sea level, so the style is fresher than you might expect for such a warm Mediterranean climate. Even so, the crisp and rather floral style found here was unexpected, especially when tasted against the second wine. I wonder if this rather delicate style reflects the age of the vines, which is exceptionally young, the vineyard having been planted just a few years ago.
