Winemaker Notes
100% Muscat of Alexandria, the oldest variety in the Muscat family and one of the few remaining genetically unmodified vitis vinifera cultivars remaining in the world today. This wine inspired a new generation of dry aromatic white wines produced from Spain's Mediterranean coast.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2024 Moscatel Old Vines Botani comes from Málaga. Fermented in stainless steel on the lees, it was harvested in a rainy vintage. The nose opens with lime and a delicate hint of Muscat, along with soft tuberose, orange blossom and a touch of mint. Dry, tense and flavorful, it expresses the Muscat character more on the palate than on the nose, with a crisp, vibrant finish. Currently made by José Fauss, the wine shows lovely expression.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made entirely from Moscatel de Alejandria grown in slate, the 2024 Botani Moscatel Old Vines is a fruity, floral dry wine from extremely steep, high-altitude slopes where yields are very low. The first dry white wine in Malaga, it offers a sleek, balanced burst of tension and verve, and it’s delightfully tart and tangy, stainless steel fermented and aged on the lees for six months, with great acidity and floral aromatics.
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James Suckling
A zesty, succulent and delicious moscatel featuring fresh lemons, tropical fruits and hints of anise. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, it is round, juicy and citrusy with a salivating, appealing finish.
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Wine Spectator
A racy white, with a perfumed overtone of orange blossoms, plus flavors of blood orange granita, lime peel, Thai basil and grated ginger. Salty finish.
Bodegas Jorge Ordóñez Málaga, located in Ordóñez’s hometown, was founded in 2004. A partnership between Ordóñez and the Kracher family of Austria, the winery was founded with the goal of resuscitating the centuries long tradition of winemaking in Málaga, which was destroyed by the phylloxera plague in the 19th century. It was Jorge’s dream to champion his home region and restore it to its former glory.
The winery has more than accomplished its goal by producing Spain’s first and best dry Moscatel de Alejandría, Botani, and by reviving the tradition of unfortified sweet wine making in Málaga. Their series of sweet wines, N°s 1 through 4, are amongst the finest in the world, and are produced in the style of the unfortified sweet wines of Málaga that were internationally renowned in the 17th through 19th centuries. In 2012, N°2 Victoria became the first Spanish wine ever served at a Nobel Prize dinner.
Jorge Ordóñez Málaga produces its dry and sweet wines from Muscat of Alexandria, the oldest clone worldwide of the Muscat varietal. This is the original Muscat, which was originally cultivated extensively around Alexandria, Egypt, and planted in Málaga by Phoenician traders 3,000 years ago. Muscat of Alexandria is one of the world’s only remaining ancient (genetically uncrossed) grape varieties and the most important for commercial wine production. The Muscat of Alexandria vineyards used by Jorge Ordóñez Málaga were planted between 1902 and 1974 on un-terraced mountainside vineyards. The vineyards of Málaga are perhaps the most extreme and dangerous in Europe, due to the decomposed slate soils, and inclines of up to 70°. The vineyards in Málaga have remained untouched. All pruning and harvesting is done by hand, and mules carry six 15kg boxes up the slopes at a time. A heroic form of viticulture.
In order to work with grapes that have high acidity, Jorge Ordóñez Málaga exclusively works with mountainside vineyards that are oriented away from the Mediterranean. In such a warm, dry climate, most grapes would completely lack balancing acidity. Furthermore, most of the winery’s vineyards are located at above 700m above sea level. Jorge Ordóñez Málaga is also the headquarters for all of Grupo Jorge Ordóñez.
While Muscat comes in a wide range of styles from dry to sweet, still to sparkling and even fortified, it's safe to say it is always alluringly aromatic and delightful. The two most important versions are the noble, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, making wines of considerable quality and Muscat of Alexandria, thought to be a progeny of the former. Somm Secret—Pliny the Elder wrote in the 13th century of a sweet, perfumed grape variety so attractive to bees that he referred to it as uva apiana, or “grape of the bees.” Most likely, he was describing Muscat.
Sierras de Málaga, established as a DO in 2001, is located in the south of Spain, in Andalucía. Interestingly, the vines in this region are planted on slopes reaching up to 3,280 ft in elevation, primarily in the non-coastal subzones such as Axarquía, Montes de Málaga, Norte and the Sierra de Ronda, although moisture coming from the Mediterranean still reaches the vines.
In this region, a wide range of grapes may be used for the production of white, rosé, and red wines. Young and inquisitive winemakers are producing more compelling wines from local grapes like Romé and Tintilla de Rota, while at the same time offering their interpretation of international grapes like Riesling, Viognier, and Pinot Noir.
Today, the Sierras de Málaga DO is enjoying a slight revival as its dessert wines are being rediscovered.