This is a very rare wine – as you may be able to see on the label only 20 bottles from each saca – from a bota of fino chosen by the winemaker at Maestro Sierra, Ana Cabestrero (and hence la Bota de Ana). The bota itself is said to be one of the two “original authentic fino soleras” (although when I was told that it made me wonder what the other soleras were called)  botas of Amazingly I was able to try this by the glass at Taberna Palo Cortado (one of their 300+ wines from the region).

Maestro Sierra’s finos are characteristically very fine and elegant, with a nice soft yeasty almond texture and flavour, and this is all that. The colour is watery gold and the nose has just a hint of fresh straw to it, with those almonds and maybe a touch of citrus underneath. Then the flavours in the palate are just what the nose leads you to expect: it is big and rich in texture and very long, but there isn’t much width to it – a kind of silky almond rapier. Neither is the salinity overpoweringly zingy – a very refined wine indeed.

The height of refinement, and exclusivity!