Clos de Lôm 'Cuvée Privée' Sparkling Malvasia 2023

A sunny, generous, easygoing sparkler made from uber aromatic Malvasia. What a treat. The wine leaps from the glass with flavours of peach, orange blossom and just a hint of brioche. Such sophistication requires some grilled prawns or calamari, good company and ideally, some sunshine. This will be a regular in my fridge door at home...

Clos de Lôm is a family-run estate with roots going back to 1836, but there’s nothing dusty about what they’re doing today. The vineyards of Clos de Lom are located in the “Valle Dels Alforins”, within Valencia's GI, planted 600 metres above sea level. Here they benefit from southern warmth, balanced by freshness provided by altitude. The wines across the board are pure and expressive.

Wines from this part of Spain have been improving dramatically in recent years and Clos de Lôm are setting the benchmark for quality. The focus is on local grape varieties; Monastrell, Garnacha and Malvasia, alongside Tempranillo. The vineyards sit on a mix of clay and limestone, with warm days, cool nights and a bit of Mediterranean influence (the sea’s not far off), which keeps things fresh and balanced. Old bush vines, no irrigation, and all picked by hand. Proper farming.