Voladeros 2022

It takes chutzpah to revive old, very steep and labour-intensive vineyards in 2015 in an area that was once world-famous for its wines and has experienced unprecedented decline, and to found the first and only winery in decades. Victoria Ordóñez had the chutzpah and the right people on her side to found this important project in the Sierras de Málaga. Actually, the daughter of a wine merchant had earned a doctorate in medicine. But at some point she became aware of the fallow wine-cultural heritage and the associated vineyards left open and began to get involved. Málaga, that meant and means above all Pédro Ximénez, which used to be mostly fortified and sweet, but in her case is dry and terroir-oriented. In addition, there is the second important grape variety of the region, Moscatel de Málaga, which is also causing a sensation.

Málaga was once one of the largest and most famous wine regions in the world. The wines were drunk by Goethe and Schiller and auctioned at Christie's in London. Then came phylloxera in 1872 and destroyed 112,000 hectares of vineyards. Málaga then fell into a long slumber. Winemaker Victoria Ordoñez, who went to school with winemaking legend Alois Kracher, is now kissing the region awake again. Her white wine "Voladeros" is a dry PX in the style of Málaga's classic mountain wines. It comes from two old vineyards with authentic Pedro Ximénez vines that survived the phylloxera plague in the 19th century. The yields are less than 1000 kg per hectare and the vineyards are located at an altitude of 800 to 1000 metres. For the Voladeros, the winemaker only uses the pre-must. The wine then matures for nine months in 500-litre oak barrels on the fine lees. The result is one of the best and most extraordinary white wines in Spain.

Light gold

The Voladeros 2022 offers a sensual and captivating nose with aromas of quince, wild fennel, white flowers and a hint of citrus fruit. Anyone who thinks of heat when they think of Andalusia will be surprised at how fresh and delicate the bouquet of this Mediterranean mountain wine is.

Voladeros stands for finesse, elegance and freshness. This white wine is always an unvarnished expression of the terroir, the old vines on barren soils in a Mediterranean mountain climate, as well as the vintage. In cool years, the alcohol content of Voladero can be 10.5%. In warm years, such as 2022, it reaches 13.5 % alcohol. Depending on the vintage, the body may be leaner or fuller. But what Voladeros always offers is minerality, precision and super freshness. The 2022 vintage is aromatically expressive, creamy and silky on the palate, elegant and multi-layered. The icing on the cake is the long, spicy finish, whose light herbal flavour is very stimulating. This is a stimulating and unique wine.