Author: sharquillo

Vibaveflor

~ sharquillo ~ 2 Comments

Had a chance to try something a bit different last week in Reserva y Cata  – a viura from Rioja that had had some time under “flor” (not clear whether we are talking about the genuine saccharomyces though – when I first tasted it I thought it was closer to a rancio).

Really interesting – in particular tasting it next to a viura with no biological ageing from the same producer. There was a clear difference in profile and volume. (The caramel and vanilla of the straight viura came across as candy floss or a spongecake in the Vibaveflor.) There was also a big difference in appearance – while the straight viura was clean and golden this was slightly cloudy like a cider and had a touch of orange. 

In sherry terms it lacked muscle and minerals, but very nice nonetheless. In general it is curious the way that biologically aged wines appear to be popping up around Spain – none that I have tried have seemed a serious threat to the boys down in Jerez and Sanlucar but it is great to be able to observe the effect of biological ageing on different kinds of wines. 

As you can see, this is very much an experimental wine and I do not think it is commercially available. I didn’t even make a note of the maker’s name – let’s hope I get another chance some day. 

Post script – More recently I had a 2011 Montbourgeau that seemed a better, and fairer, comparison – would be good to try the Vibaveflor side by side with one (if I ever see it again).

 

 

Ovni Palomino Fino 2015 

~ sharquillo ~ Leave a comment

This was a very pleasant surprise I must say – the generous chaps at Coalla Gourmet threw this (and its twin) in with the last case of sherries I bought from their brilliant online store and, although it took me a while to realize what had happened (said case was stored while I was not around to supervise) it was a doubly pleasant surprise to find it in the cabinet when the time came.

Not the first time I have tried it and I refer to that first review for the background. It is a sobretabla with six months under flor – so an example of a palomino white wine with just a little biological ageing. Very pale as you can see, it has a lot of the aromas of a “mosto” in the nose (think farmyard!), as you would imagine, but has a little bit of mineral bite to it.

I think it could do with being a little cooler than the 12 degrees of my wine cabinet so it has gone into the fridge, but that is no bad thing as the summer starts to warm up.

Many thanks guys and don’t mind if I do!

Oloroso Pata de Gallina

~ sharquillo ~ 1 Comment

All day thinking about the 3 en rama but don’t have any at home. This will certainly do. Absolutely delicious.

The most appetising colour imaginable and toffee almonds on the nose – burnt butter and just a bit of smokiness. Nice, glycerine rich consistency – from whence it gets its name – and a really tasty mouthful.  Has a nice zingy buzz to it, then those crisp, burnt butter flavours, nice caramel centre and spicey and racey rather than bitter.

Love it – juicy, tasty and balanced.

Fino la Barajuela 2013

~ sharquillo ~ 10 Comments

Happy Father’s Day to me. What a wine this is.

It is a famous wine and one that lives up to its reputation. I first heard about it many moons ago, tried it in March on an overwhelming day in many ways, and have since heard its praises sung from the rooftops. And rightly so.

It may not be what you expect from a fino but it is a very fine wine. In fact, it is the expression of terroir and fruit in Jerez, and of winemaking, that I and many others have been waiting for. I thought it was impressive in March but found it heavy – now it is light on its feet and has the presence and personality of a great wine. I just can’t believe how good it is. It is outrageous.

If anyone tells you palomino is a “neutral vessel” let them taste this (or its Sanlucar cousin, the UBE, when it comes to that). When I first opened it it had that meaty nose of fresh grilled tuna, with a little lemon and coriander. Then as it opened later the nose was all fruit and sweet herbs. On the palate it has those same flavours fruit, sweet herbs, and meatiness, and the profile is horizontal: a long, long flavour that persists. All the while there is spicey saltiness in the background, and the balance of salinity and fruit is perfect – tasty but not clingy, full but not heavy.

Just really delicious. A fantastic wine.

Surtopia – Cota 45 – Atún – Langostino

~ sharquillo ~ Leave a comment

The sherry event of the summer here in Madrid – five dishes and five wines, with José Calleja of Surtopia providing the food and Ramiro Ibañez of Cota 45 providing the wines. In fact ten dishes and ten wines, with tuna on July 13 and langostinos on July 14 (lunch and dinner).

No clues yet about the wines involved but I have been told that I haven’t tried most of them (I find it hard to believe) and that they include some “massive cucumbers” (pepinazos gordos): you will have to take my word for it but this is a good thing.

I know I will be there – will be absolutely cracking. 

Fino Tradicion October 2014

~ sharquillo ~ 2 Comments

Another classic fino from Bodegas Tradicion, and when I say another, I mean it follows in the tradition of the May 2013, October 2013, May 2015 and November 2015.

I love these – right up there with the very best finos on the market and this was a cracking “saca”. Nice rich gold in colour. On the nose it has a kind of mineral, haybale, citrus quality – like old lemon energy sweets – then it has a nice full body and just classic yeasty, nutty fino flavours, with mineral zing and a bready, salty finish – clinging but mouthwatering.

Just what a fellow needs.

 

Mons Urium in Taberna Palo Cortado

~ sharquillo ~ 5 Comments

Another great night yesterday in Taberna Palo Cortado, this time to taste the wines of Bodegas Urium, a small, family run bodega that is one of the newest faces in Jerez but to judge from last night one of the most passionate.

The bodega has been around for “centuries”, formerly, as an almacenista (one of the “faceless”  winemakers of Jerez, as one of the guys put it last night) and is located on Calle Muro, aka “Wall Street”. The bodega is run by Alonso and Rocio Ruiz, a father and daughter team from a family from the town of Moguer, in Huelva (known to the Romans as “Mons Urium”, from whence the name). Alonso fulfilled a lifelong dream – learnt in turn from his own father – when they acquired the bodega in 2009, acquiring not only a historic bodega but, more importantly, its contents. In total around 500 botas of wines, many of them very old and, to judge by last night, very fine.

Last night we had five wines: a very nice fino en rama – fruitful, yeasty and juicy – with around eight years under flor, and four VORS wines with an average age of 45 years – the amontillado, oloroso and palo cortado, pictured above, and a very youthful tasting 45 year old Pedro Ximenez.  Five excellent wines – I particularly liked the fino and the punchy, saline oloroso, but the amontillado was elegant and smokey and the palo cortado had a bit of spirit to it.

More importantly, we also had the chance to meet Rocio and one got a clear impression of a project that was moving in the right direction. Having trained with none other than Luis Perez she has a very uncluttered, balanced approach to winemaking that was as free from blarney as it was from unnecessary formalism: wine making with wine at its center, with the goal of making wine that people can drink. It was fascinating to hear her talk about the gradual progress in tasting, assessing and classifying mostos and wines, and the efforts to imprint their own style on the old “jewels” they had inherited. It all sounded like hard work, but despite that there was a lot of laughter and enthusiasm that was captivating.

All in all, another terrific evening in Taberna Palo Cortado and a real pleasure to meet one of the young winemakers pushing the region forward.

 

La Bota de Dulce Color 33 – “Bota No”

~ sharquillo ~ Leave a comment


I have been planning to come back and try this ever since my last visit to Sudestada and have had the chance to read up on it ahead of time.

This is Equipo Navazos in their element. As their excellent (as always) ficha points out, this is really a historic artefact, an example of the “colour” wine that used to be added to wine to – I think you can guess – give it colour and aromatic complexity. I recommend reading the ficha for all the details but this is a wine of about 80 years old that was obtained from the cellar of almacenista Juan Garcia Jarana (a happy hunting ground for these guys).

The “color” in question is black with a reddish brown edge to it, and the tear on the glass is that red brown. On the nose it is surprisingly quiet – I expected my eyes to water – but while all that aromatic there is a nose of distilled barrel with some eucalyptus.

On the palate again it is nowhere near as acidic or potent as I expected. (In all seriousness I wonder if it might have lost some of its mojo after a long time open, but then again for an 80 year old wine it isn’t exactly delicate.) Neither does it come across as sweet – despite the 190 grammes of sugar per liter it apparently has. In fact on the whole I find it balanced, tending to bitter. The bitterness and the barrel flavours are dominant – just a little woody spice, tobacco and resin at the end, and it isn’t really astringent either. Sticky length – one word I notice I haven’t used is salinity, and this is a finish that sticks to you rather than making the mouth water.

Really interesting and instructive.

Fino en rama Tio Pepe 2016

~ sharquillo ~ 2 Comments


Not my first glass of this but my first chance to have a good look at this 2016 edition (here at the bar of Taberna Verdejo) and I like it.

Has a very nice apple/apple sorbet nose and a fine, delicate almond profile – fresh almonds rather than bitter or toasted – tingling salinity in the background that comes through at the end for a fresh finish. Not overpowering, but elegant, and that apple is very attractive.

A fresh, zesty edition of this classic wine.