2023 · Los Frailes Monastrell

Los Frailes is a family-owned estate in Fontanars dels Alforins, Valencia, run by the Velázquez family in its 13th generation. Based at the historic Casa Los Frailes, an estate linked to Jesuit friars from the 17th century and owned by the family since 1771, it focuses on native varieties, especially Monastrell, from bush vines grown at 650–700 metres on very calcareous, alluvial and limestone-rich soils. Farming is dry, organic and biodynamic, with organic certification dating from 2000/2002 and a strong emphasis on biodiversity. In the cellar, Los Frailes works with manual harvest, native yeasts, minimal intervention and traditional concrete vats and clay vessels still used today. The wines are described as fresh, pure and direct, aiming to express vineyard character and Mediterranean identity.