Lovelia 2024

Semi-sweet Moscatel with freshness and balance

Lovelia 2024 from Calvente is an inviting Spanish white wine for those who enjoy generous fruit and a touch of sweetness without sacrificing freshness. Made from Moscatel de Alejandría and sourced from high-altitude vineyards in Granada, the wine benefits from conditions that encourage gradual ripening while helping the grapes retain their natural acidity. The result is a semi-sweet white wine in which ripe fruit, aromatic intensity and gentle sweetness are balanced by lively freshness.

Rather than being heavy or dessert-like, Lovelia has a juicy and refreshing personality that makes it equally enjoyable with food or on its own. It is particularly appealing to wine drinkers who find completely dry white wines too austere or sharp. Lovelia offers a softer and more approachable alternative while retaining enough acidity to keep every sip vibrant. Combined with Horacio Calvente's uncompromising approach to grape quality, this makes Lovelia much more than simply an easy-drinking sweet white wine.

Taste & Aroma

Moscatel de Alejandría is renowned for its expressive aromatic character, something Lovelia 2024 displays immediately. The bouquet offers an intense combination of ripe and tropical fruit alongside attractive floral nuances. Orange blossom is particularly noticeable, adding an elegant perfumed dimension that complements the wine's generous fruit profile.

Visually, Lovelia is clear and bright, displaying a youthful pale-yellow colour with subtle greenish highlights. On the palate, it is juicy, fruity and pleasantly sweet, while refreshing acidity prevents the wine from becoming cloying. This interplay between residual sweetness and acidity defines the wine: sweetness provides softness and volume, while acidity brings lift, energy and balance.

Some of the Moscatel vines used for Lovelia are exceptionally old, reaching approximately 80-120 years of age. Combined with the elevated vineyard sites, these mature vines contribute concentration and aromatic character, giving Lovelia considerably more personality and complexity than one might expect from an approachable semi-sweet white wine.

What Does It Pair With?

Lovelia 2024 is particularly versatile at the table because its combination of sweetness, acidity and aromatic fruit works beautifully with dishes that can challenge conventional dry white wines. Sushi is an excellent pairing. Vinegared rice, salty soy sauce, delicate raw fish and potentially spicy wasabi create contrasting flavours that benefit from Lovelia's fruitiness and gentle sweetness.

It is also an excellent companion for Asian cuisine, particularly dishes incorporating sweetness, aromatic spices or moderate chilli heat. Try it with Thai-inspired food, seafood, grilled fish or lighter chicken dishes. The expressive Moscatel fruit and fresh acidity also make Lovelia a compelling match for mature hard cheeses and stronger blue cheeses, where the wine's sweetness provides an appealing counterpoint to salty, savoury flavours.

Food, however, is by no means essential. Serve Lovelia well chilled as an aperitif, on a warm terrace or whenever an uncomplicated but characterful glass of white wine is called for. It is particularly suitable when serving guests who favour fruity, softer wines rather than completely dry styles.

Calvente – high-altitude winemaking in Granada

Lovelia is produced by Horacio Calvente, a winemaker who has helped showcase the quality potential of the mountainous landscape south of Granada in Andalusia. Calvente's vineyards are situated high above the Mediterranean, and altitude plays a crucial role in the wines. While southern Spain can experience intense heat, elevated vineyards provide cooler conditions and significant temperature variations that help preserve acidity and extend the grapes' ripening period.

Moscatel de Alejandría has been cultivated in these coastal mountains for generations. Lovelia draws fruit from sites including El Castaño, La Cañá, La Loma and Jurite, situated at approximately 750-1,025 metres above sea level. Steep slopes and old bush-trained vines make viticulture demanding, with grapes harvested by hand and carefully selected.

Calvente combines traditional Andalusian viticulture with contemporary winemaking techniques. Lovelia expresses this philosophy particularly well: an accessible modern semi-sweet white that retains the aromatic identity of Moscatel and the distinctive freshness created by Granada's dramatic mountain vineyards.