Jorge Ordonez & Co. No 2 "Victoria" Moscatel Dulce 2023 - 375 mL -
(Malaga, Spain) - [JS 94] [WA 93]

Winemaker Notes:
Bodegas Jorge Ordóñez Málaga, located in Ordóñez’s hometown, was founded in 2004. A partnership between Ordóñez and the Kracher family of Austria, the winery was founded with the goal of resuscitating the centuries long tradition of winemaking in Málaga, which was destroyed by the phylloxera plague in the 19th century. It was Jorge’s dream to champion his home region and restore it to its former glory.

The winery has more than accomplished its goal by producing Spain’s first and best dry Moscatel de Alejandría, Botani, and by reviving the tradition of unfortified sweet wine making in Málaga. Their series of sweet wines, N°s 1 through 4, are amongst the finest in the world, and are produced in the style of the unfortified sweet wines of Málaga that were internationally renowned in the 17th through 19th centuries. In 2012, N°2 Victoria became the first Spanish wine ever served at a Nobel Prize dinner.

This bottling is made up of 100% Muscat of Alexandria from the following vineyards within Vélez-Málaga, Alta Axarquía, the most historic subzone of Málaga DO: Frontilla, Panderón, Navarrete, Villazo, and Villalto. The dry farmed vines were planted between 1902-1935 upon beds of decomposed slate with a small percentage of white quartz. The grape bunches are late harvested Late harvest (partially dehydrated) by hand and are whole-cluster-pressed in a pneumatic press. Fermentation occurs in small (1,500L) stainless steel tanks. When fermentation reaches 10% alcohol, the temperature of the tank is dropped dramatically to halt fermentation. A small amount of SO2 is added to stop fermentation. The wine then ages for 8 months sur lie in stainless steel.

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - James Suckling:
"A consistently outstanding sweet muscat showing complex and concentrated flavors of honeysuckle, dried peaches, preserved pineapple, honeydew melon, lychees and orange blossoms. Viscous and bright, with a full body and a slightly waxy texture, but the bright acidity makes sure that you can drink more than one glass. Long and intense. Drink or hold." (May 2024)\

93 Points - Wine Advocate: 
"The 2023 Victoria #2 is sweeter and more intense than the #1 but still young and fresh, bottled unoaked. This also comes from old vines on slate soils in the Axarquía zone of Málaga. The grapes are dried in the shadow inside the winery to achieve further concentration, and the wines have natural alcohol. This fermented in stainless steel, and the fermentation was stopped by cooling it when it has achieved 11% alcohol. It was kept with lees for around six months. This is their flagship sweet wine and the largest production, with a pale color and a spicy and faintly toasty nose from more concentration, and it has more peach and honey notes. It has 11% alcohol, a pH of 3.20, 7.3 grams of acidity and 200 grams of sugar. It's dense and oily, very balanced, with more of everything, including concentration, persistence and length. This comes in 375-centiliter bottles. 25,000 bottles were filled in February 2024." - Luis Gutierrez (Oct 2024)

91 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A bright and juicy dessert wine, this is just off-dry and backed by tangy acidity. Offers a silky mix of pureed mango, blood orange sorbet and candied lime, with accents of ground cardamom, jasmine, grated ginger and graham cracker. Moscatel. Drink now through 2034. 2,000 cases made, 550 cases imported." - Alison Napjus (Jul 2024)