Author: sharquillo

Salón de los Vinos Generosos

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Sherry fever unabated here in Madrid: yet another event to report on.

This coming Thursday at the Hotel Miguel Angel (Salones Renacimiento) from 12:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00 – with a pretty impressive lineup of bodegas too. All the details are here on the web but as you can see, Barbadillo, Tradicion, Delgado Zuleta, Díez Mérito, González Byass, Estévez, Lustau, Fernando de Castilla, Sanchez Romate and Williams & Humbert will all be there.

Please note: the event is aimed at professionals (although some of us amateurs have also received invitations).

 

 

Lakasa

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Another long awaited reopening here in Madrid – Lakasa. The new edition is bigger, brighter, sleeker, in a cosy new location and, as promised, has a super list of sherries and manzanillas. 

There are 23 in total and 19 by the glass (and even 15 by the half glass, which strikes me as a fantastic idea). Some of them are absolute classics too – Fino Imperial, Toneles, the 1986 Oloroso de Añada, Pandorga, and El Tresillo, to name just five, and I am told they have more in reserve to juice things up as necessary. The prices are very fair (you would struggle to beat some of these prices online, let alone in a restaurant) and the list also has a great structure: there are plenty of versatile wines in every category (El Fossi should be on every sherry list and it is here).

And all that without starting on the full wine list – 20 wines and ciders by the glass, 130 in total, including five from Jura (a Vin Jaune by the glass even) – and without getting stuck in to the menu.  Solids are not my hobby but the fiambre de callos I had was top notch – even the bread was delicious – and again nearly everything on the menu was available in half portions, which is great. 

Even the location is perfect – a 20 minute walk back to the office will look great on the old Apple health app tonight!

The Williams 2009s

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To the left the 2009 oloroso de añada, to the right the 2009 fino de añada, both from the brilliant Williams Coleccion Añadas.

These side by side comparisons are marvellous ways to find out about these wines. Here we have two wines from from the same old vine palomino in the same albariza vineyards in Añina and Carrascal (Jerez) that have both been ageing for the same seven years in botas of american oak of 500 and 600L before the saca in the same month – february of this year. The difference is that the fino was fortified to 15º after fermentation, allowing it to develop flor, whereas the oloroso was fortified to 18º and allowed to age “traditionally”. It all makes for a rare opportunity to observe the results of the action and protection of the flor on the wine.

Starting with the fino, I would hazard a guess that the flor wasn’t the most robust: the difference isn’t as dramatic as it might have been with, say, a seven year solera fino vs a seven year oloroso. (I don’t necessarily attribute that to the 7 years – the 2006 Vintage Fino was under flor for eight and from memory was yeastier and finer, more mineral.) Rather, as I have mentioned before, the fino seems to have retained some glycerin and, while the minerals and nuts are there, it also seems to have seen some oxidation giving it a sweet creamy character. There is what I often describe the illusion of fruit: although it is a dry, punchy wine, with minerals and zing, it has more body and juiciness than you would expect in a seven year old fino.

Despite that oxidation in the fino the contrast with the oloroso is fascinating. The oloroso has just a touch more orange colouring to it but maybe the biggest contrast is in the nose. While the fino has refined profile and is relatively quiet on the nozzle, the oloroso jumps out at you with sweetness and alcohol – like rum and raisins or a pina colada. On the palate the oloroso has an evolved version of the buttery, rice pudding mellowness of the fino – like the burnt skin of milk on a rice pudding – and has just a touch of a spikier, more acidic edge to it. It is fully dry but the flavour is rich sweet hazelnut, although alcoholic. I get the sense it prefers the cold – I am finding the four additional degrees of alcohol even more jarring as it warms up from 12 degrees or so.

I do love these Sunday evening science projects!

 

 

 

 

Exceptional Harvest 2014 – revisited 

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Opened this and gave it to my wife – who has started to gripe about the dominance of palomino chez nous, and is known to loudly reminisce in a pointed fashion about her favourite white burgundies and riojas. She immediately smelt a rat (or, in fact, a wine from the marco) “but this is all grapey like a pedro ximenez!” (a nice Rully was opened and peace restored). 

Not the first time I have had this – first tried it in La Chula de Chamberi where it is killer with a foie they have – but after all the thinking about palomino white wine the last couple of days I was intrigued to give it another roll. 

I was in fact pretty impressed at my better half calling pedro ximenez because it is really not the standard px. However now I am tasting it post-Pandorga I think I can see a similar profile emerging: the fruit, sweet notes turning to bitter orange marmalade – here the fruit is not as sweet and the marmalade not as clear or rich but the shape is evident. It is even a similar profile to the very old pedro ximenez’s with their fantastic bittersweet finish. 

Above all this is a very pleasing wine to drink – rich, honeyed and tasty but elegant and even a little bit smokey. 

El marco de Jerez and the change that is possible

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I came across this great article by Armando Guerra on the Vila Viniteca blog as a result of a tweet by the UEC the other day and what a nice piece it is. 

I don’t know Armando well but he comes across as a really nice chap – friendly, seemingly always laughing and disarmingly modest – the kind of guy who wears his knowledge, and his achievements, lightly. This article is a great example, and is probably the most measured piece on the “resurrection/ revolution/ reboot/ rebirth” that I have read. 

The highlights for me are two lists: one of  some of the people responsible for the change in trend, as he puts it; and one of the paths forward for the future. 

The first list is brilliant – all the usual suspects are there (Ramiro, Willy, Williams, Alba, Fernando de Castilla – you can see the whole list in the piece) but there is also recognition for the role played by giants such as Barbadillo and Gonzalez Byass. Later in the piece he also shouts out to the writers, historians and journalists who kept the flame alive: “Girón, Asenjo, Bellver, Luis Gutiérrez, Ivison, Oldemburg, Pepe Ferrer, Liem, Jancis Robinson, Roca, and de la Serna”.  

The second list is even better: a really helpful systematic list of ways forward – almost a to do list for the sector: 

White wines with a small amount of ageing under flor.

White wines aged without flor from terroir or vineyards of special interest.

Sparkling wines of traditional varieties – exclusively or not – and planted on albariza soils.

Biological ageing as a quality product, recognized by special sacas or indicating the date of bottling.

Biological or traditional ageing without fortification.

Biological or traditional ageing of vintage specific wines.

The recovery of historic varieties.

Red tintilla de rota wines

Repositioning of the old wines of Jerez.

Extracting value from the countryside and bodegas as a quality wine destination (contribution to the conservation of historic buildings and  landscapes).

(I would probably add a couple of points if it were my list but it isnt so I wont.)

He signs off with a reference to the tragic death of Chanquete – not a mere Transparent Goby but rather the much loved wise old fisherman from an iconic children’s TV series, Verano Azul. He says Chanquete’s death may have been inevitable but fortunately Jerez’s was not, or summat. It is a timely reminder of how much I have yet to learn about Spanish culture: I have no idea what he is on about. 

For me the roll calls of honour are missing at least one big name, though: Armando Guerra. His role has probably been bigger than you think – and is certainly bigger than he would ever admit. 

Sudestada 

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Sudestada is a brilliant spot – one of Madrid’s best pan-asiatic restaurants (and I mean pan-asiatic – tonight we had nems, samosas, tandoori and panueng, with the house caipirinhas).  It is also a real fun place for dinner – finger food, both hands food, dipping sauces – it is enjoyably messy at times – and a cracking list of cocktails. I hadn’t been for a couple of years and really can’t explain why: a testament to all Madrid’s great restaurants I suppose. 

I am even more surprised now to be honest because just look at that list of wines by the glass above. I think in any circumstances it is a fantastic list of wines from Jerez and Sanlucar, and not just any wines either: top class wines by Equipo Navazos. 15 not counting brandies – remarkable. Indeed the wine list is pretty excellent all round – not massive but some really well chosen wines. 

The wines of Jerez and Sanlucar work perfectly here too – the structured profile, body and punchiness of them is superb with the spices and fragrant leafy herbs that seem to cover all the plates. Tonight I had la Bota de Fino 54 and la Bota de Palo Cortado 52 – two classic, elegant creations and they were just ideal. Really excellent dinner in fact – won’t be years before I go back.

La Bota de Florpower 57 MMXII

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This is another of the wines that has been languishing amongst the drafts since I had it – a good few weeks ago now. As you can see from the photo we had this at dinner and as such I don’t have very clear notes. Nevertheless, I have a pretty strong recollection of the basic facts.

Picture the scene. We are four enthusiasts in a place with an excellent wine list, but the sommelier is on holiday. We have had the waiters in all sorts of difficulty with our wine orders all dinner, and with a pretty meaty dish coming and none other than the Bota de Palo Cortado Nº34 listed – a perfect accompaniment you would say –  it was duly ordered. The unfortunate waiter then disappeared for a good few minutes and, having presumably searched fruitlessly high and low in the cellar, reappeared with a wine that, while it may be many things, is certainly not a palo cortado. In his defense, he did a great job of appearing unconcerned and giving the impression that all “Equipo Navazos” wines are more or less interchangeable.  Frankly it could have gone either way – you keep these lads waiting 10 minutes for a glass of wine at your peril, and bringing the wrong one after a wait like that is a risky strategy – but fortunately we were just consumed with mirth and had it anyway.

I am glad we did because it proved to be excellent. It was a little difficult at first: maybe it was a little cold and the profile came across as overbalanced with minerals or even oxidated. But even in the time it took us to finish (and there were four thirsty travellers involved so not long) it seemed to grow in stature and flavour, and by the end I finally began to see the comparison that gets made with the white burgundies – crisp, defined, solid flavours and a lovely finish . (This is in fact something I have noticed a couple of times with these palomino wines – they may just need a bit of time to breathe first up.)

One of the best palomino white wines I have had and these are definitely growing on me.

 

 

 

Fino de añada 2009, Williams Colección Añadas

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These Williams Colección Añadas are really fascinating. These are “vintage” sherries that have been statically aged – the year’s mostos put in botas and left to get on with it rather than forming part of a solera. As a result there is a bigger scope for variation in the resulting wine due to the different characteristics of the fruit and mosto used and the formation and development of the flor in the botas, meaning a bigger variation in what comes out of the barrel compared to the solera wines. This is a case in point: it is so utterly different to the 2006 Vintage Fino and the Pando it is remarkable.

This one is from palomino from old vines (between 60 and 20 years of age) in albariza vineyards in Añina and Carrascal (Jerez) and has been statically ageing for seven years in botas of american oak of 500 and 600L before the saca in february of this year, classification as a fino and en rama bottling.

The first time I had this I didn’t really have the time to study it in detail but I am quite pleased with the tasting note I came up with. The colour is indeed evolved, it has a fruitful, sweet and oxidized or “sherryfied” nose. On the palate it is rich and full bodied – a sensation of glycerin- and a resulting impression of fruity sweetness. It is as if the flor hasn’t really got to work on this. Having said that you can still taste the minerals in the background – a sensation almost like a mineral red. Finally there is also a touch of age in the finish – as if it was already heading down the woody path.

(Due to agenda issues I am still working on the horizontal/vertical/diagonal of the full set that I picked up weeks ago from Coalla Gourmet – in the meantime I have picked up a few bottles from  Reserva y Cata in Madrid so at least have some bottles to keep me going. Kudos to both for stocking these fascinating wines.)

 

 

 

Las 30 del Cuadrado 2015

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This morning I added a #palomino tag to the blog to make it easier to find the palomino table wines and in the process discovered that this note was still amongst the “drafts” (with a couple of other lost notes that will surface shortly).

It is a 100% palomino by Bodegas Hidalgo la Gitana and, to judge by the name, from a very special pago: el Cuadrado, which is either a pago by itself or at the Sanlucar end of the Pago de Balbaina, depending on your definition. Whatever it’s status, it is a famous and highly regarded plot of land: one of those names that make the guys down there, and the real experts in these wines, go slightly misty eyed. It is also one of the pagos that I have visited in person and had a chance to judge the lie of the land. (And incidentally, the pago responsible for one of the best wines I have come across so far.)

On the nose this has almonds and tropical fruit and, according to my notes, a hint of pizza herbs like oregano (I must have really liked it). On the palate it is fresh, easy to drink but with a nice body to it: those nuts and fruit again and just a little bit of herbal and calcium bite.

Nice structure and balance and a really promising wine.

 

 

Palomino fino en rama Tosca Cerrada

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Was in Taberna Verdejo for a quick bite of lunch (some fantastic migas and an even better panna cotta) and bumped into a nice chap from the business who happened to be supping on this. I have actually had it before – the first time I had it blind in Surtopia – but I must admit that my curiosity was piqued by a recent review I had read and wanted to give it another look.

It is of course named after one of the major types of albariza and is “by” Delgado Zuleta and “for” Mario Rovira – an experimental catalan winemaker who is said to be experimenting with biological ageing of his own palomino at his bodega in el Bierzo in Northwest Spain (Akilia). This one is from Cadiz, however, and is an unfortified 100% palomino fino with seven months in manzanilla botas – of which three or four months are under flor. (As an aside, it strikes me that the label “palomino fino en rama”, containing as it does the words “fino en rama” could be considered a bit misleading.)

A shade darker than I remembered it – whereas I expected a more radiant green gold this seemed slightly darker. As with the first time I found it had plenty of fruit, calcium and herbs on the nose – if anything this time it seemed even more herbal-  but on the palante the fruit and herbs took over a little. Really meaty texture to it and maybe could do with just a touch more acidity.

Overall I found it a little bit heavy and lacking in structure, but no doubt that is tasty stuff.