Cap de Nit ‘Negre’ 2019

Cap de Nit

As an importer there’s a number of ways to stumble upon interesting producers.

Of course there are the exhibitions and salons, from massive events in sterile halls to rowdy gatherings in freezing caves. Or one of your winemakers turns you on to their cousin or former employee who’s working some still-obscure magic in a nearby village. Or you simply read about an interesting domain online and email them to see if they’ve got any wine left to sell.

Or, as we discovered last year, you just happen to have cool customers with equally cool friends that just happen to make unique wines in Southeast Spain.

Under the name of Cap de Nit, Josie Cleeve and Joshua Kniesel produce delicious low-intervention wines from Moscatel and Giró grapes, grown in the coastal region of Marina Alta, Alicante. Having studied enologie and viticulture in Germany and after stints and renowned estates in Chile and Spain, a few years ago the couple set up their own project in the small village of Alcalilí.

Here they vinify grapes that they either harvest themselves at or buy from traditional farmers in the area. From the start Josie and Joshua were convinced these vineyards of old, dry-farmed bush-vines could be used for making great natural wines, even though no one else was doing it.

And now that all 4 cuvées have made it to Amsterdam, we can say we whole-heartedly agree! Each one a light-weight, lively and eminently digestible wine, richly textured but surprisingly relaxed on the palate.