Moneu is one of the ancestral grape varieties that Familia Torres has recovered in recent years as part of its response to climate change. Originally from Penedès, the variety was rediscovered near Querol, in the Alt Camp area, and takes its name from the nearby Coster del Moneu.
Highly resistant to drought, it has been planted on the Castell de Bleda vineyard, in the village of Santa Margarida i els Monjos. In recent vintages, Moneu has formed part of the Clos Ancestral blend alongside Garnacha and Tempranillo –in fact, it was one of our Wines of the Week.
However, the wine we’re featuring this week is a varietal Moneu from Jean Leon, one of Familia Torres’s wineries in Penedès. Since 2015, director and fifth-generation family member Mireia Torres has been developing a range of small-scale experimental wines exploring both white varieties such as Forcada, Garnacha and Malvasía, and red varieties such as Sumoll, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Moneu.
Produced in collaboration with winemaker Montse Escoté, this wine is one of Jean Leon’s most interesting creations. It underlines the potential of these rediscovered grapes to bring a new expression of Mediterranean reds: fresher, fruit-driven and easier to drink. The Moneu grapes are organically farmed in a 1.5-hectare plot planted in 2020 in La Serra vineyard on clay soils.
Although 2023 was very hot and dry, leading to one of the earliest harvests in recent memory, this wine retains plenty of energy and freshness while preserving good ripeness. It has notes of wild berries (strawberries and blueberries) together with hints of bramble, and a fresh, herbal edge. The fruit takes centre stage on the palate, enveloping the slightly herbal tannins before giving way to a savoury finish. This wine encapsulates a wonderful new Mediterranean style: it is pleasant to drink and not at all tiring, with moderate alcohol.
The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks before ageing for 11 months in 225-litre French oak barrels and 2,200-litre foudres. The presentation takes its cue from the chalk markings traditionally drawn on bottles while they aged in the cellar. A label around the bottle's neck keeps the wine information visible even when the bottle is chilled in an ice bucket —fittingly so, because this Moneu can comfortably be served slightly cooler than a standard red.
12.5% abv.
3,007 bottles
€22.5
Score: 92
Author
Amaya Cervera
A wine journalist with almost 30 years' experience, she is the founder of the award-winning Spanish Wine Lover website. In 2023, she won the National Gastronomy Award for Gastronomic Communication
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