News from Jerez 12.7.12

Wonderful news from Gonzalez Byass! They are launching - or relaunching - for the first time in over a century the almost completely forgotten wine Tintilla de Rota. The company has a 45 hectare estate called Finca Moncloa near Arcos de la Frontera where they grow red grapes including 3 hectares of Tintilla.

Tintilla is the name of the red grape and Rota is the name of the place where it was grown in sandy soils, though it was a little more widespread. Rota is close to Puerto de Santa Maria at the north of the bay of Cadiz. Unfortunately the growth of plantations of the more profitable Palomino and the arrival of a huge military base shared with the Americans in the 1950s pretty well did for the poor Tintilla. It was once very popular, especially in Victorian times, known in Britain as Rota Tent, yet can still be found in Rota in tiny quantities - and the Canary Islands (also once famed for sack production).

The wine was traditionally made by sunning the grapes just like PX or Moscatel, after which the biggest stalks were removed and the grapes put into tubs which were covered with esparto grass mats for fermentation. The mats restricted the air flow and impeded the fermentation. The must was stirred occasionally for about a month and the wine turned out dark and bitter-sweet and quite low strength - around10% vol. The pulp was then pressed and the press wine added in and it all went into butts along with 50 litres of wine alcohol per butt. Some arrope (boiled down grape juice) might be added to reduce bitterness and the effects of the alcohol. The end result was a full bodied, very deeply coloured red, about 15% vol, still with that slightly bitter sweetness, the bitterness being mainly tannin. When the Denominacion de Origen was established in the 1930s, Tintilla was already almost forgotten and not included.

Using more modern methods, Gonzalez Byass have reproduced the wine at Moncloa, but in tine quantities - the 2009, aged in barricas for 18 months, produced 690 50cl bottles, and only 240 are destined for export. Next March the 2011 will be released, aged for 12 months, but more - around 1350 bottles. The wines reportedly have aromas of figs, raisins and minerals with good acidity on the palate.

I for one can't wait!!