Manzanilla Pipiola 15%, Bodegas M Sánchez Ayala

Appearance

Fairly pale almost lemony gold with bright golden highlights.

Nose

Forthcoming and aromatic with classic Manzanilla notes of camomile and salty sea air. There are also slightly floral and gently fruity hints of apple with background notes of briny salinity, minerality, yeast and scrub, but overall it has an air of super freshness and charm.

Palate

There is a very fine balance here between the very gentle bitterness of the flor and the slightly fruity, floral side, so they all have a chance to shine. The level of acidity is spot on and accentuates the freshness and the finish is as clean as a whistle, leaving lingering sensations of camomile, bread and olive brine. The wine is elegance itself.

Comments

The brand and solera Pipiola used to belong to Manuel Garcia Monge, whose widow ran the bodega until she sold it to Sánchez Ayala in the 1980s. Then, the wine was sold as a Manzanilla Amontillada, but it is now a straight Manzanilla. Later the bodega was bought by its current owner, José Luis Barrero Jiménez. While José Luis has plans to bottle it someday, it is only sold on draught at the bodega at the moment. To relaunch it in bottle would be costly and need much promotion. At least it is being looked after with loving care for the time being, and in a bodega which is extremely close to the beach. The word "pipiola" is colloquial for someone young and inexperienced, a novice.

Price

3.65 per litre draught ex bodega

The Pipiola solera and old label

1.11.17 London Sherry Trail Map Launched

The Sherry Institute in Britain has created a fantastic map of the London Sherry Bars, and it is impressive to note that there are as many as 47. Publication of the map comes just in time for International Sherry Week (ISW) and the map provides all the information you could possibly need to find a good glass of Sherry in the capital. It lists all the bars and gives their contact details and can be downloaded at: http://www.sherry.wine/sites/default/files/a4_london_sherry_trail_map.pdf

Many will be organising ISW events, so here is a golden opportunity to try all sorts of gastronomic combinations with the most versatile of wines: Sherry. Each time you visit one of these establishments you are encouraged to share your experience on social media at #SherryLondon. Meanwhile, everything you could possibly need to know about ISW can be found at:

http://www.sherry.wine/sherryweek and don't forget it all kicks off on Monay 6 November!

31.10.17 Romate Launch New Labels; González Byass Launch 2017 Palmas

Despite having being established in 1781, Bodegas Sánchez Romate are always innovating and yesterday they presented the new bottle design for their standard range to 300 members of the Cádiz and Sevilla horeca sector at the bodega. The traditional tall round dark bottle has been replaced with a paler Burgundy style bottle and modern labels, and it is hoped that the whole package will have more appeal to younger drinkers as it looks less Sherry-like. As before the bottles are sealed with screw caps. The new presentation will be available from January.

González Byass have released the 2017 Palma Collection known as the “Ages of Tio Pepe”. As is customary, GB oenologist Antonio Flores was assisted in his selection by Pedro Ballesteros, the first Spanish Master of Wine. Selections were made from various of the older Tio Pepe soleras, the oldest dating from 1880. GB are now the only bodega to bottle wines labelled as Palmas, which are Finos of particular finesse, and the higher the number, the greater the age. As Antonio put it “we have bottled the power of the albariza and the magic of the flor”. The details are:

Una Palma: A blend of wines from 3 butts with an average age of 6 years, lots of flor.

Dos Palmas: A blend of wines from 2 butts with an average age of 8 years, a little less flor.

Tres Palmas: Wine from a single butt with an average age of 10 years, very thin flor.

Cuatro Palmas: Wine from a single butt with an average age of 52 years, an old Amontillado which still shows traces of its Fino background.

Brandy Mons Urium Solera Gran Reserva 36%, Bodegas Urium

Appearance

Deep walnut mahogany with copper highlights fading through amber to a faintly green tinged rim.

Nose

Full and rich with distinct notes of vanilla and oak, walnut and toasted almond, all nicely harmonised with age. There is a hint of caramel sweetness balancing the spice from the oak and adding to the considerable complexity of a fairly powerful brandy.

Palate

Classic Jerez brandy; rich, full, characterful and round with plenty of oak yet not excessively tannic despite its age. There are distinct Oloroso notes and a faint rancio note along with nuts and a faint trace of dried fruits. The intense flavour lasts for ages and it takes a drop of water well.

Comments

Produced specially for Urium as this small bodega doesn't have the room for a brandy solera, it is occasionally bottled in limited amounts, and is an excellent brandy, though Urium don't make a big thing of it; it doesn't even feature on the website though it certainly deserves to.

Price
21.10 euros, Licores Corredera

Sorry.....couldn't wait!

29.10.17 Universo Santi Inauguration Ceremony

The official inauguration ceremony took place on Friday in the presence of the mayoress of Jerez, Mamén Sánchez, the president of González Byass, Mauricio González Gordon, representatives of the Junta de Andalucía and the 30 or so institutions which have supported the project. The haute cuisine restaurant is the first in the world to be staffed entirely by people with some form of disability who have been given a chance to show that they too can contribute to society. The Diario de Jerez reported the event noting that while independence was being declared in Cataluña that same day, the 30 disabled staff of Universo Santi were also being given independence - and without trampling on the Constitution. The late chef Santi Santamaría, himself a Catalán, was the first to win three Michelin stars in Cataluña for his restaurant Can Fabes in Sant Celoni (Barcelona). His widow, Angels Serra, who was also present at the event, said that Santi would be very pleased and would have agreed instantly to this project and wanted to be involved. It deserves all our support. The doors are expected to open imminently. http://universosanti.com/

The staff at Universo Santi

Fino Cruzado 15%, Las Botas

Appearance

Bright pale amber with golden highlights.

Nose

Fine and complex with plenty of bitter flor, notes of straw and gentle traces of oxidation. There are slight buttery, autolytic, rancio hints of cabezuela and a nutty toasted almond note, giving the wine a very serious Fino-Amontillado character and considerable depth. It is on that cusp - or at least approaching - it between Fino and Amontillado.

Palate

Full for a Fino, and very complex with an attractive texture and perfect balance between bitter almondy flor, correct acidity and the softer buttery notes. The flavour is intense giving a really long finish which is amazingly fresh and clean, a lovely wine.

Comments

Las Botas is a joint project between two young Sherry fans, wineshop owner César Velázquez and sommelier Raúl Villabrille who have spent a couple of years searching for amazing wines hidden away in the bodegas of Jerez and Sanlúcar (but not just in the Marco de Jerez) which they can bring to the public. They mark particularly interesting butts and make a very small scale blend of some of these wines. This Fino is made from grapes from the pagos Carrascal and Macharnudo and the wines were selected from the solera of Fino Señorita Irene at Bodegas Francisco Yuste. The wines have undergone considerable crianza and the scales have only been run occasionally giving a more mature style. In fact this en rama Fino averages 10 years of age, and comes from a saca of 2,000 50cl bottles. The name "cruzado" means the wine is right at the crossroads between Fino and Amontillado

Price
15 euros per 50cl bottle, La Tienda del Jerez

Alba Rojo Pago Miraflores 2015 10.8%, Viticultores Alba

Appearance

Bright light cherry red with a slight trace of orange at the rim.

Nose

There is a lot of lively ripe fruit as one might expect from the production method and a passing resemblance to red Burgundy, but the fruit is slightly blacker with cherry and plum notes. It is very fresh and clean and really encourages you to drink it.

Palate

Again lovely and fresh with those bright fruits to the fore. There is an attractive slightly chalky texture and perfect acidity giving it a gently tangy character with plenty of minerality and of course virtually no tannin. It is dangerously moreish.

Comments

This delicious red wine comes from sustainably grown Tempranillo grapes grown on 15 year old vines in the albarizas of the Pago Miraflores near Sanlúcar. The hand harvested grapes were not de-stemmed and the whole clusters were trodden by foot. They were fermented semi carbonically in stainless steel using natural yeasts and given 14 days of maceration, roughly half anaerobically and half aerobically without the addition of sulphur dioxide. After 8 months in the tank the wine was filled into only 400 bottles in May 2016 without any fining or filtration. No wood ageing - nor was it necessary. The idea was to produce a young fresh fruity wine of quality, and that's exactly what they have done. This is the perfect summer red, perfect slightly chilled, and surprisingly versatile with food. I just wish they would put some sort of indication of vintage on it.

Price
29.95 euros, De Albariza