Gutiérrez de la Vega & Curii Uvas y Vinos
ALICANTE
My first encounter with Felipe Gutiérrez de la Vega was in London via a glass of his Casta Diva, a Moscatel from Alicante – often derided as no more than a package holiday destination for Brits. Surely nothing good could result? How wrong I was! His touch is expert, and his influence extensive. Not just with sweet wines either, but table wines, and Alicante’s historic Monastrell-based Fondillón style. Although he works with Fondillón, legally he’s an outsider – he officially withdrew from the Alicante DO in 2010. A forthright person, maybe it’s not surprising that he chose to leave.
Felipe has since passed on the direction of the winery to his children, though he is still a presence there. Violeta Gutiérrez de la Vega – trained in France – runs the business with the assistance of her two siblings. She is quick to emphasise her father’s role in the region, recalling that ‘he was the first to bottle wine. Back then, it was all bulk wine’.
She also has a personal project, Curii Uvas y Vinos, with her partner Alberto Redrado, who’s qualified in viticulture and oenology. In his ‘other’ life, Redrado is the awardwinning sommelier at the two-star Michelin restaurant L’Escaleta, where his cousin, Kiko Moya, is chef. (A favourite for wine lovers.)
Violeta and Redrado started Curii Uvas y Vinos in 2010 and have 3.5ha; they want to make wine for cellaring. Their aim is to celebrate local varieties such as Giró and Trepadell Blanc and to express a true Mediterranean character: ‘Our wines are lighter, more acid than has been typical in these parts,’ says Violeta. Like Pepe Mendoza, they think that Giró is not Garnacha, and are involved in an ampelography study. Mendoza has said: ‘People think Giró is Garnacha, but Garnacha winemakers such as Fernando Mora have visited – they are clear it isn’t the same.’
Curii Uvas y Vinos, Una Noche y Un Día, Alicante 2019 90
N/A UK See Facebook
The producer name (‘grapes and wines’) stakes claim to the fact that Violeta Gutiérrez de la Vega and Alberto Redrado are Alicante viticultores, rooted in the vineyard as much as the winery. This is a real vin de soif, alive with crisp red fruits and mouthwatering freshness. There are some chalky tannins, so best enjoyed with jamón serrano or a chorizo picante. Drink 2021-2023 Alc 14%
Gutiérrez de la Vega, La Báscula Casta Diva Selection Moscatel, Alicante 2014 92
£ 21.45-£ 24/50cl Butlers Wine Cellar,
ND John, Sommelier’s Choice
This a classic: a delightfully rich and complex sweet wine, made from Moscatel but with none of the simple grapey sweetness. The selection and the ageing in oak have elicited a layered confection of dried fruits, honey, caramel, sweet spice and oranges. Among the other Moscatels, seek out the delicate Tío Raimundo: it’s aged under flor, like – but unlike – Sherry. Drink 2021-2026 Alc 14%