2022 Clos de Lom Monastrell Rosado Vinos de Finca 750 ml

After a fog- and rain-drenched stint in Burgundy last November, we were desperate to see the sun again. Luckily we already had a detour to Spain on our itinerary. The plan was to spend some time sourcing new wines, and also to drink a lot of sherry and wander around Barcelona in search of cava and jamon.

But there was a cheap flight directly from Lyon to Valencia, so we figured we’d start our trip a few hours down the coast, soaking in the sunshine—and we ended up finding today’s wine. We bought a bottle on the recommendation of Tenda Vins, a local wine merchant, for a picnic on the beach, and it absolutely stunned us with its quality. The next day, we drove down to the winery to secure some for our members.

At the time, today’s wine was barely done fermenting—but the quality it showed in tank was obvious. Clos de Lôm uses low-yielding old vines for their character and presses the grapes exceptionally gently for elegance. They expect to get just HALF the juice out of a cluster as many other producers—and the result is a wine that reminds us of plenty of $35 bottles from Provence.

That’s due in part to the grape involved, as well: Monastrell is known as Mourvèdre in France, where it’s the backbone of the best rosé from Bandol. Late ripening and vibrant, it thrives in the sunny climate of southeastern Spain, as well—but Clos de Lôm remains unknown in the US.

We nabbed this allocation at the winery, and you won’t find it anywhere else in the US. Unless you’re going to be lounging in Valencia soon, savor it here!