15/20

Las Medallas 

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This is a standard manzanilla by Argueso acquired yesterday in a local supermarket for the princely sum of €3.99 and enjoyed as an aperitif in the evening mediterranean sunshine.

When I tasted this in Taberna Palo Cortado a couple of weeks ago I noticed how meaty and full bodied it was for a manzanilla and it certainly is. So much so I find you have to serve this quite a bit colder than my standard 10-12 degrees to get the best out of it – this one was probably 6 degrees.

It is, in short, a bit of a brute compared to the delicate, floral manzanilla wines you may be used to. Salty and meaty, but nevertheless it has some nice bready flavours – maybe a suggestion of unsalted macadamia nut. 

Fino en Rama Arroyuelo, February 2015

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By Primitivo Collantes in Chiclana de la Frontera, this is an unfiltered “unpercolated” en rama from a saca from botas number 36, 92, 118 and 205 – on February 4 this year. (All this came of the hand adjusted label – quite a lot of data as is the modern way.)

It is boldy coloured and has a strong nose (a combination of green grass, herbs and citrus cheese – like a Comte). It is then no surprise in the mouth – at the big, fruity, herby end of the scale. Despite the herbal promise, and maybe because of all those strident flavours, it is not all that long and doesn’t keep it shape very well – sort of fades away to a slightly bitter ending.

On the whole it is not a very delicate wine for a fino – not really my bag.

Navazos Niepoort 2010

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Admirable and historically interesting as they may be, I just can’t quite enjoy these wines.

This is a 100% palomino fino, from a “historic” vineyard, fermented in a sherry butt with the yeasts from the vine itself, then six months more under flor, and absolutely no fortification.  It is supposedly what all the hip sherry bloggers would have been drinking in the 18th Century. It is also made by the thoroughly admirable, expert trio of Equipo Navazos, Quim Vila and Dirk Niepoort.

It is a dark, old gold colour and has a very interesting nose: coppery tin and grapefruit. It also has grapefruit flavours on the palate, with lime cordial and maybe a hint of cream. It is all the juicy fruit flavours of a lively sherry but I must admit I don’t enjoy it much – for me these fruit flavours seem brash, and I end up hankering for the fine texture and nutty, bready flavours of a good old fino.

Having said that, I think these palominos are worth trying and give real clues to appreciating sherries when the time comes.

Taberna Palo Cortado

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I have finally made it to Palo Cortado, Madrid’s latest sherry destination.

It is an old school tavern in one of the quiet streets a stone’s throw from the palace and opera-house. The menu is full of Andalucian classics and standards – we had an excellent salad of partridge of escabeche in particular.

But the main attraction for sherry fans is the wine list – I didn’t count them (or take a picture, I really am a shocking blogger) but I reckon there must have been 60-odd sherries available, examples of every area and style and excellent prices (even for the blockbusters). Even better is the person behind that wine list, Paqui, one of the Sherry Women and a much loved member of the Madrid wine scene. Because when you have a list as long as this one you really need some expert advice.

In my case, I opted to go a vertical of manzanillas that I don’t know well from Bodegas Argueso.

First up was this manzanilla – Las Medallas – with five years under flor. It had aromas of straw and a big, meaty body to it. Really broad and robust for a manzanilla – amazingly meaty and chewy, like a very doughy loaf of bread, with more toasted bread than almond but a lot of umami. I really liked it (15/20).

Second was this, the San Leon, a more typical manzanilla – again with five years under flor. Also hay bales and herbal tea on the nose, much finer, more elegant but not quite as meaty as the Medallas. Bit quiet on the finish. (15/20)

Last but not least, comes the San Leon, Reserva de la Famila. This has had seven and a half years under flor and is recognizeably more refined – maybe lacking a little less scent compared to the junior version but a more elegant, powerful and compact wine. (16/20)

Three excellent glasses of wine – for a combined total of €8.70. There is no doubt that Palo Cortado is an essential visit for any sherry fan (and an excellent alternative even for laymen).

Uncle Joe on the branch (Fino en rama Tio Pepe, 2015)

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Is worth two in the bush or something like that. I may be the last person I know to try the 2015 en rama fino by Tio Pepe but better late than never.

Beautiful colour to it – a not too shiny gold and clear as an alpine lake. On the nose it is herbal, in the mouth it is rich and velvety in texture and the flavours are of dry herbs, roasted fruit and uncooked bread – really long and juicy too. Very nice indeed.

It also is immediately recognizable as Tio Pepe – itself  a much better wine than it gets credit for.

Gran Barquero Fino

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As a friend pointed out this week, I am on a bit of a pedro ximenez spree at the moment. After enjoying the Oloroso and the Capataz I couldn’t resist opening this fino. Like the Capataz it is Montilla Moriles and 100% pedro ximenez, has been under the flor a good while (8-10 years I have read) but it is quite a different wine. 

It is paler, clearer in colour and, as always, clear as a bell. On the nose it is quite grapey with some nuts and herbs – thyme and so on. It is full bodied and solid in the mouth but the glycerol of the px is not that noticeable. The flavours are tremendous – salty dry grass, yeasty bread, dying away to unsalted almonds – just a hint of edge to it but a lovely soft finish – hardly a trace of bitterness. A really nice, drinkable fino.

Gran Barquero Oloroso

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This is a highly drinkable abocado (almost dry – just a hint of sweet)  pedro ximenez oloroso by Perez Barquero of Montila Moriles.

As you can see it is a beautiful orangey chestnut in colour. On the nose it is sweet, rum and raisin icecream. Then in the mouth a lovely mellow structure of aged, roasted caramel. I really find that PX works well in an oloroso – its glycerol richness in the mouth really complements the flavours. Conversely, of the PX wines olorosos or amontillados work better, imho, than finos due to their structure – the PX just doesn’t seem able to carry off the subtleties of fino like palomino can.

If I were to criticize (and I might as well while we are here) it would be that PX oloroso’s don’t quite develop as much acidic zing as their palomino cousins from Jerez (in fact there is probably a little leas intensity in general). This wine has a nice buzz to it and is a fine accompaniment to lamb chops but might not handle a really mature steak or spicey callos.

The only other criticism is that it is absurdly easy to drink – which in a 19 proof beverage is a recipe for a hangover!

Cata de Palo Cortados en Enoteca Barolo

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A good friend made it possible for me to attend this and it was a cracking event.

The title – “Palo Cortado – the most mysterious sherry wine” – suggested a bit of blarney but in the end nothing to worry about – maybe a bit of blarney but overall a good, punchy and knowledgeable introduction with some interesting nuggets and some key background facts on each wine – a well prepared and well conducted tasting.

We started with Obispo Gascon – by Barbadillo in Sanlucar (on the left below). The colour is an orange amber/chestnut – absolutely crystal clear. It wasn’t super expressive in the nose – salty with a bit of sweet pastry. On tasting the salinity is nicely integrated and it is maybe not creamy but a little oily, with flavours of caramel to burnt caramel – and very long. Nice start. (16/20)

Next up was the Tradicion – seen here between the Obispo and the Gutierrez Colosia Viejisimo. Similar in shade  to the Obispo Gascon although not as crystal clear – a suggestion of cloud. More nutty on the nose – more almond pastry/bakewell tart rather than the honey pastry of the Obispo and not the same noticeable salinity (this lad is from Jerez). Noticeable acidity in the mouth and it is full of darker caramel flavours – maybe a little bitter/burnt in the aftertaste. Always notice the structure of this wine and it has a nice, savoury, nuttiness to it. (17/20)

The Gutierrez Colosia is called “very old” and it looks it. It was at least a shade darker than the other two – but crystal clear – and again a little bit of sea air on the nose (this fella is from Puerto de Santa Maria). Also a bit of yeast on the nose – a more vegetable sensation. Big and rich on the tongue and it has that old fruity christmas cake taste to it, caramel flavours, baked orange, a suggestion of nuts. Really full in body and maybe a touch more width/breadth than the other two. Lovely wine. (18/20)

Next up – Roberto Amillo Espiritus de Jerez. In colour it is a little browner and my glass – in fact the bottle – was a little cloudy. A bit less expressive on tje nose. On the tongue it not as rich and on the palate it is acidic, spicey and sharp with flavours of walnut tending to walnut skin. For me not as rich and structured as the Tradicion or the Viejisimo – a racy, spicey glass though. (15/20)

The fifth wine (middle of this picture) is the Equipo Navazos 48. Deep bright red in colour – light ruby and a really distinctive nose – a bit of the diesel, varnishy garage forecourt smell, with bitter orange and minerals and even lactic notes (cheese rinds). I can understand it not being everyone’s cup of tea on the nose but in the mouth it is fabulously rich, with a whole new range of flavours. You get dark chocolate and tobacco, the jammy marmalade, and of course the nutty toffee. I found it a really expressive, rich wine and a little extra dimension on the palate compared to the others. (18/20)

Finally, on to the Cardenal by Valdespino, an old school palo cortado made from wines that stepped off the “true path” of the Fino Inocente (and therefore all from the Macharnudo Alto pago). In colour it is another dark one – chestnut brown. Then a salty, iodine in the nose, and burnt caramel for me (but others reckon yeast). In the mouth it is enormous – treacly, maybe even too concentrated. The range of flavours is not quite as wide as the 48 – absolutely massive and relatively balanced even if possibly not as multifaceted as the Navazos wine. A magnificent wine no doubt. (18/20)

Overall favourite: the Equipo Navazos 48 – just for the range of aromas, flavours and notes – but this was a superb range of palo cortados and an excellent event.

Tio Diego

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Still in Surtopia and making full use of the opportunity.  

 

This is a classic amontillado from Valdespino and in a sense is the uncle (Diego) of the Inocente fino. It is a dark, old brass orange in colour and as clear as a bell. On the nose there are aromas of caramel and cream, and it also creamy in the mouth – a very lush feel to it. On the palate the first flavour is caramel, followed by bitter citrus – marmalade – and some nice acidity and spice at the back end. Very (too) drinkable.