Yo Solo 100% Melonera
The story behind the bottle
The Melonera grape was wiped out by phylloxera in the 1870s and survived for 150 years as little more than a written description from 1807. La Melonera spent eighteen years bringing it back — sourcing vine material, proving it virus-free, and twelve years of paperwork to get it legally recognised, which finally happened in 2024. That December they bottled 357 of the first monovarietal Melonera in living memory.
In the glass
Not what Ronda reds usually do. Lighter-bodied and delicate, it leads with aromatic dark fruit, a candied note and a persistent freshness. It’s 15% ABV but drinks elegant, not heavy.
Food pairing
Lightness and perfume change the rules — don’t bury it under heavy red-meat sauces:
- Roast poultry or duck
- Mushroom and truffle dishes
- Charcuterie and semi-cured cheeses
- Even a meaty fish like grilled tuna
How to serve
- Serve a touch cooler than a heavy red: 15–16°C
- No need to decant — but a large glass lets the aromas open
- This is a wine about freshness and perfume, not long cellaring. Open it for the occasion, not the cellar
Why it’s special
- 357 bottles, first edition (December 2024)
- The first 100% Melonera in around 150 years
- Quite possibly the only monovarietal bottling of this grape in living memory
An occasion bottle in the truest sense — the kind you open slowly, with people who’ll appreciate it. Not because it’s expensive, but because a year ago it didn’t exist.
