2021 Bodegas Rafael Cambra Casa Sosegada Valencia 750 ml

Twenty-odd years ago, anyone who only paid attention to Spain’s blue-chip regions would have been mystified by Rafael Cambra.

He had his pick of locales for his own project, but he eschewed big names like Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Instead, he bought a vineyard in the southeastern corner of the country, between Valencia and Alicante.

His family runs one of the country’s most important grapevine nurseries—one tapped by the likes of Vega Sicilia and Alavaro Palacios—so Rafael knows more about grape genetics and vineyards than nearly anybody in Spain. But unlike many at the time, he realized the old Monastrell (Mourvèdre) vines and their terruño were world class: worthy of devoting the rest of his life to. 

Now the Valencia region is one of the most exciting in Spain, and Rafael is at its vanguard. Working from a restored 300-year old winery, he turns out thrilling organically farmed wines like this 2021 Casa Sosegada.

Rafael’s vineyards are a study in paradox: The sun and heat that allow the city’s fabled orange groves to thrive should make for hyper-rich, chunky red wines. But the Monastrell grape—called Mourvèdre in its adopted home of France—is perfectly suited to the climate, as are its autochthonous stable-mates Forcallà and Arco. All ripen late and need the warmth of the area, plus a long growing season, to reach flavor maturity. 

The top sites here also have plenty of limestone, which is coveted by winemakers across Europe for the elegance and verve it imparts in the wines. Limestone’s water-holding capacity is essential in this arid climate—especially since Rafael choses to dry-farm his vineyards, lowering yields but increasing concentration and character.