Bodegas: Urium

Urium is a family bodega situated in the Calle Muro, which runs alongside the old city wall in the old barrio Santiago quarter of Jerez. At one time there were many bodegas here, but most have gradually disappeared. This one was bought from a former manager at Valdespino and almacenista in 2006. As a firm, then, it is very recent, only registering with the Consejo Regulador in September 2009 and then starting to sell the wines. It is owned and run by Alonso Ruiz Olivares, a businessman from Moguer (Huelva) and Sherry aficionado, his daughter Rocio Ruiz Lopez, who is also the enologist and her husband Mario. Sr. Ruiz bought the bodega along with its fine old stocks and renamed it after the Roman name for Moguer: Mons Urium (or golden mountain). The bodega is very small, with only about 500 butts, and consists of two warehouses with a central patio where they age the vinegar. Of the butts they bought, some 60 were not up to their standards and were sold off and replaced by better ones from old soleras around Jerez, and they were easy enough to obtain since in those days of crisis many small firms were closing.

After 3 years of hard work getting things together, a party was held in the bodega to which various bloggers, members of the gastronomic world and foreign buyers were invited. They also held a reception at the Consejo Regulador, attended by the president, the mayor of Jerez and various councillors. After the reception, a menu maridaje was enjoyed by the guests.

The old bodega in Calle Muro - strange not to see lots of parked cars!

The age of the wine stocks allowed them to produce a range of VORS (over 30 year old) wines straight away, to which they added a Fino solera and buy in Manzanilla from an almacenista in Sanlucar. They own no vineyard so buy mosto from growers in Balbaina with whom they collaborate closely. All wines are bottled en rama. Interestingly one of the botas punta of the fino solera lost its flor for some reason, and yet it miraculously returned two years later. Its average age is some 15 years, and thanks to a couple of years without flor shows oxidative notes and so could best be described as Fino-Amontillado. It is a lovely wine, known as Fino Elena, but not bottled.

In 2011 they created the Classic Range in innovative bottles of their own 50cl design, in tall clear glass. In 2016 the family bought the old San Francisco bodega in Sanlucar's Barrio Bajo which was once home to Manzanilla El Rocio. It had been used as a restaurant (Currito) for a while and it is currently being re-converted back to bodega use. In 2017 they created one butt of completely natural Medium Dry Sherry for the winning Dutch contestants in the Copa Jerez. In fact Urium wines have often been chosen for this competition.

Alonso and Rocio

The range consists of:

Fino en Rama, Manzanilla Pasada, both about 8 years old

Classic Range, all 15 years old or more: Pale Cream, Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado, Cream, PX

VORS Range: all about 45 years old: Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and PX  limited release and all in numbered bottles

They also have a really special Palo Cortado, over 100 years old and known as el Gran Senor, from a solera of just one butt and a 60 year old PX.
Occasionally they sell a fine brandy.

Address: C/Muro, 28, 11404 Jerez de la Frontera,  Cadiz

Tel: (+34) 956 335 597

Web: www.urium.es

Visits: yes, by appointment