Moscatel

Moscatel is one of the oldest cultivated grape varieties in the Mediterranean, with a history that stretches back thousands of years. It is considered a very ancient variety that has been preserved remarkably well over time, with relatively little genetic modification through modern breeding. Its long history in southern Spain has made it an important part of the region’s viticultural heritage.

It is a white, highly aromatic variety, naturally rich in floral and fruity compounds. Depending on the site, climate, harvest time, and winemaking, it can produce an extraordinary range of wines, from fresh, completely dry white wines to naturally sweet wines and complex generoso styles.

Dry Moscatel can be particularly expressive, producing wines with intense aromas of orange blossom, jasmine, citrus, white peach, apricot, and fresh herbs, while maintaining freshness and acidity. When the grapes are left to become very ripe or are dried through asoleo, their sugars and flavors become concentrated, producing intensely sweet wines with notes of raisins, figs, candied citrus, honey, and dried flowers.

In southern Spain, particularly Málaga, Córdoba/Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and surrounding areas, Moscatel has been used for centuries in both dry and sweet winemaking, as well as in certain generoso styles.

Moscatel is therefore not simply a “sweet wine grape”: it is an ancient and remarkably versatile white variety, capable of producing some of Spain’s most intensely aromatic dry whites as well as deeply concentrated sweet and generoso wines.