Viña Matalián 2018 12%, Bodegas Primitivo Collantes

Appearance

Bright, fairly pale strawy gold with golden highlights.

Nose

Very attractive with lots of light, super fresh orchard aromas like apple and pear with distant traces of mandarin and paraguayo peach along with hints of white flowers and a little herbaceousness. While it seems fairly delicate at first, there is some intensity behind.

Palate

It starts with a burst of apple and then goes on a journey through all the aforementioned fruits enlivened by nicely judged and refreshing acidity which makes it feel almost crunchy. There are many subtle nuances and it is very clean. Naturally there is a faintly saline note accompanied by a dry chalky texture from the albariza and it all comes together and balances perfectly.

Comments

7,000 bottles of this dry Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz were produced in 2018 from the Palomino grown in the firm´s 19.5 hectare Viña Matalián near Chiclana which is in the Productio Zone. They have two other vineyards: Pozo Galván (17.3ha) and Viña El Inglés (18.31). Two table wines are made from Matalián musts: this one, and a sweeter version, the Semidulce, consisting of Palomino and some Moscatel. The vineyard soil is albariza, mostly the quite hard but very pure tajón type, and the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. After fermentation the wine is left on its lees before minimal filtration and bottling. No ageing takes place and there is  no flor involved.

Price

5.90 euros, Licores Corredera

Amontillado Fossi 1/3 Solera No 19%, Primitivo Collantes

Appearance

Bright strawy amber with old gold highlights.

Nose

What a lovely nose! More intense that then the excellent standard Fossi, and a little older, yet it still retains some background vestiges of Fino like a slight bitterness from flor. Overall however the aromas are of finely honed oxidation with traces of caramel, overripe apple and raisin with hints of straw, toasted almond, tobacco and a hint of sweetness. It is lively and fresh with real character.

Palate

Quite full up front at first then it becomes lighter, fresh, clean and elegant with an attractive texture and, of course some of that dry albariza feel and a trace of salinity. That sweetness is all but non-existent, though there is a hint of glycerine - Amontillado often smells slightly sweet but isn´t - but there is plenty of nuttiness. Volatile acidity is low still giving the wine a younger feel along with that slight flor note. A delightful wine.

Comments

The standard wine from the solera Amontillado Fossi undergoes five years of biological ageing and then ten ageing oxidatively, and the result, the Amonrillado Fino Fossi, still has noticeable Fino notes. This outstanding wine comes from one of the three "botas no" which were separated out from the Amontillado Fossi solera for their superior quality and character and stored in the "sacristia", an area of a bodega where the finest old wines are kept. Over the years the butts are topped up only to replace the "mermas" or evaporation losses, rather than being run as a normal solera, and this allowed the wine to age more rapidly giving it more concentration and making it all the more special. Such sacas can only be done rarely and in limited quantities, and in this case it was bottled en rama. It is excellent value for money.

Price

31.50 euros per magnum, Licores Corredera

Socaire Oxidativo 2014 12.5%, Bodegas Primitivo Collantes

Appearance

Light to mid strawy brassy gold with golden highlights.

Nose

Forthcoming, interesting and attractive with traces of apricot, quince jelly and plenty of over ripe apple notes from the carefully controlled oxidation. The aroma has something of autumn in it, of over-ripeness, without sweetness, and inevitably a slight strawy waxy Sherry note. Most winemakers avoid oxidation like the plague but in Spain they have mastered it and made a virtue of it, as beautifully demonstrated here.

Palate

Fresh, clean and fruity, though the fruit is more mature. It still tastes like the usual Socaire but further developed and complex, slightly resembling a Fino with bottle age only lighter and fruitier. Acidity and length are perfect and there is a dry texture and faint minerality from the albariza. It is an unusual and intriguing wine, but one which will captivate you in no time at all.

Comments

This is a new version of the excellent 100% Palomino Socaire; basically exactly the same wine, but with extended ageing and thus older and showing a little oxidation, hence the name. In fact it is aged for a total of 5 years (three more than the standard wine) in an ex Fino butt which gives it greater depth and complexity, but only 600 bottles were produced. It comes from the albariza of the firm´s Matalian vineyard and was fermented in butt, and the ageing took place in the absence of flor.

Price 

25 euros, Licores Corredera

Vino Blanco Socaire 2017 12.5%, Primitivo Collantes

Appearance

Bright gold with lemony gold reflections.

Nose

Full, clean, fresh and attractively aromatic with notes of apple naturally, both fresh and stewed, but also pear, paraguayo peach, mandarine peel and traces of white flowers and honeysuckle. There is also a trace of salinity which adds a nice savoury touch.

Palate

Slightly fuller than expected and beautifully rounded even though there is a beautifully balanced acidity. There is a delightfully seductive summery fruit and flower character yet underneath there is a dry chalky albariza texture and a faint salinity, and the balance between all that is perfect. A serious wine with lots of charm.

Comments

Socaire is becoming one of the classic table wines of the region. It comes from 100% Palomino grapes grown in the firm´s Matalian vineyard near Chiclana and fairly close to the Atlantic. The soil is the lentejuelas type of albariza. After selection the grapes are pressed and the juice is fermented in butts previously seasoned with Fino where it ages for up to 2 years´depending on the characteristics of the vintage. The vessels are kept full to avoid the appearance of flor and highlight the character of the vineyard. The back label states that the wine was aged for 24 months but this can´t be right as it would still be ageing. It should be more like 19-20 months. Maybe they forgot to change the label. Anyway, it is an excellent wine, and the 2015 vintage scored 91 Parker points.

Price

12.95 euros, Licores Corredera

Vino Blanco Matalián 2018 12%, Primitivo Collantes

Appearance

Bright pale strawy gold with silvery gold highlights.

Nose

Fresh, light and mildly tropical, think mango peach and pear with a background current of ripe apple and citrus along with a very faint salinity and a gentle tang. There is a gentle floral character to it as well giving a light, fresh aromatic appeal.

Palate

Soft, light, rounded and gentle at first, then the nicely judged acidity appears to provide balance, zip and accentuate the fruit, especially the pear. It finishes very slightly drier than expected but with good length with the classic chalky albariza texture and a trace of salinity.

Comments

This excellent wine is a Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz and comes from a single vineyard, the 19.53 hectare Viña Matalián in Chiclana which lies in the Sherry production zone. A little south of Cádiz, the vineyards are close to the Atlantic with lots of albariza and great exposure to the Poniente. This wine undergoes no ageing and has no flor influence as is intended to reflect these wonderful atmospheric and soil conditions through the medium of the Palomino grape and it does so splendidly. Total production is somewhere around 7,000 bottles.

Price

8.70 De Albariza

Fino Ceballos 15%, Primitivo Collantes

Appearance
Fairly pale strawy gold with golden reflections.
Nose

Very fresh and clean and quite generous with hints of almonds and acetaldehyde, straw, esparto, traces of ripe appley fruit and a gentle yeasty flor edge.There are faint traces of wild herbs, olive brine and butter which make it all the more interesting.

Palate

Quite fruity at first then a hint of bitterness from the flor kicks in followed by that slight herbal note. It has a lovely dry chalky texture and a certain minerality leaving one in no doubt that it came from albariza soil.The finish is dry,well rounded, long, clean and satisfying.

Comments

This attractive Fino is produced from Collantes´ own 55 hectares of vineyards on albariza soils in Chiclana which is located in the production zone, though it is very likely that Chiclana will be redesignated as crianza zone in 2019 if the proposed changes to the regulations take place. The bodega has been in business for over a century and is very go-ahead producing excellent "Sherries" and fine table wines like Socaire and Matalian. This is their entry level Fino, 100% Palomino and aged  in solera for over three years, and very reasonably priced.

Price
4.50 Licores Corredera

Fino en rama Arroyuelo saca 2018 15%, Bodegas Primitivo Collantes

Appearance
Bright, strawy gold lightly tinged with brass and old gold highlights.
Nose

Beautiful nose, quite full with yeasty flor on the surface and serious Fino behind. There are all sorts of nuances like wax, straw, sourdough, hints of minerality, briny salinity and traces of cabezuela coming together to make it remarkably complex for its age.

Palate

Again quite full, and very tasty. Acidity is fairly low but there is enough flor bitterness, mineral and salinity to compensate, and with the body and roundness provided by that slightly buttery touch of cabezuela, balance is perfect. It also has terrific length.

Comments

This excellent Fino is made from a careful selection of just three of the best butts (numbers 3, 5 and 11 to be exact) in the Arroyuelo solera which it leaves with an average age of 5 years. It was bottled on the 9th July 2018, the annual saca, without any treatment whatsoever. The firm, established over 100 years ago is still in family hands and has two bodegas and over 50 hectares of land all located in Chiclana, which is, of course, in the production zone. It seems so unfair that wines of this quality can´t call themselves Sherry; they are every bit as good.

Price
12.85, Licores Corredera

 

Moscatel Oro Los Cuartillos 15%, Primitivo Collantes

Appearance
Pure gold with bright glinting highlights, legs.
Nose
Fresh aromas of tea with hints of zippy citrus, floral camomile and that classic Moscatel grapiness, clean and bright with a noticeable tang, light and elegant.
Palate
Pure essence of Moscatel grapes with a little extract and texture but balanced by a gentle acidity giving a feeling of freshness such that you hardly notice the sweetness and that light citrus note carries it through to a clean finish with decent length. The comparatively low 15% helps, serve chilled.
Comments
This is a delicious Moscatel made from grapes over-ripened on the vine on sandy soils near the coast at Chiclana and without arrope or sun drying of the grapes making it light fresh and zippy. It has no great age, perhaps two years at the most and that's just fine, it is young, fresh and moreish suitable for any time of day rather than a wine for sipping in the evening.
Price
6.30 euros from Cuatrogatos

Amontillado Fossi 17.5%, Primitivo Collantes

Appearance

Bright amber tinted gold, legs.

Nose

Light yet elegant, complex and attractive, still with dry and slightly bitter notes of flor and a touch of salinity yet with delicate lightly toasted bread, hazelnut and almond and a faint background sweetness reminiscent of turrón which balances it up perfectly. Very much an Amontillado Fino, and a good one - of which there are not enough around.

Palate

Fairly crisp thanks to its Fino origins, but the sweeter, nuttier element soon comes through balancing perfectly with the nicely judged acidity giving a vivatious wine with good length which is delightful on its own and perfect for food.

Comments

This is a lovely wine with about 5 years under flor and a further 10 ageing oxidatively. It seems younger than that but all the more delicious for it, and it is a shame wines such as this must be labelled either as Amontillado or Fino, it is such an attractive style. However the label in the picture below uses the term "Amontillado Fino" but the bottle I am tasting calls itself "Amontillado" an old picture on the firm's website perhaps. The wine might come from Chiclana, and cannot therefore be labelled as Sherry, but is the equal of many which can - especially at the price. The albariza soils and the skilled hand of Ramiro Ibáñez as consultant oenologist might have something to do with it.

Price

8.00 euros

Fino Arroyuelo 15%, Primitivo Collantes

Appearance

Quite pale bright silvery gold, light legs.

Nose

Lively yeasty and fresh. There is a gentle salinity, and notes of sourdough, dried herbs and plenty of almondy bitterness from the flor and an overall light zestiness.

Palate

Dry and fresh with a slightly savoury note and more complexity than the nose was prepered to give away. The flor is noticeable from both above and below giving a lovely bitter kick. While acidity is on the low side it has considerable length, and considerable character.

Comments

This excellent Fino is solera aged for 5 years. It is their best Fino and there is also an en rama version of it (qv). The others are Ceballos and Ceballos Solera. It comes from their own 55 hectares of albariza vineyard at Chiclana which is in the Sherry production zone, not the ageing zone, and the wine is not therefore officially called Sherry, but is the equal of a good one. The vineyards and bodegas are close to the Atlantic which gives the wine its freshness.

Price
6 Euros

18.1.15 Parker Points for Bodegas Collantes

Bodegas Primitivo Collantes in Chiclana has received 90 Parker points for both its Fino en rama Arroyuelo and its Amontillado Fino Fossi. Arroyuelo is aged under flor for five years while Fossi also ages under flor for five years and then ages a further ten years oxidatively. Congratulations to Bodegas Collantes and to Luis Gutierrez, Parker’s man in Spain,  for looking beyond the three main Sherry towns.

Chiclana mayor Ernesto Marin (r), Fino Arroyuelo and its makers (foto +Jerez)

               

Bodegas: Primitivo Collantes

The history of this bodega in Chiclana goes back to the end of the XIX century, 1889 in fact,  when the brothers Primitivo and Tomás Collantes Lloredo arrived there from the Valle de Iguña near Santander. Their first harvest was in 1903, and before long they bought from Don Manuel Lloredo, presumably a relative, part of a bodega in the Calle Ancha, 51, which remains to this day their headquarters. This bodega is known popularly as the “Bodega El Gallo” (The Cockerel) and is still run by the 4^th generation of the family.

Over the years the brothers worked hard and the business grew. They went on to acquire a site in the Calle Arroyuelo, now the site of their bodega de crianza. In 1946 the company was registered, becoming a limited company in 1973 under the name Primitivo Collantes SA. The firm makes wine and vinegar from the produce of its own vineyards which are in the registry of the Consejo Regulador for Sherry production, along with the bodega de elaboración and the bodega de crianza.

The bodegas over the years

The vineyards consist of Pozo Galván (17.3 ha. of Palomino on albariza lustrillo), Matlián (19.53 ha. and including small plos of Moscatel and Uva Rey, a vine which was once fairly abundant here but nearly disappeared after Phylloxera) and El Inglés (18.31 ha.) totalling just over 55 hectares of long established albariza soils, mostly of the tajón type , but with a more coastal climate. All the vineyards are cultivated and harvested manually. Wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before being transferred to butts for ageing in criaderas and soleras. The firm is currently run by Primitivo Collantes who is one of the new generation of dynamic winemakers pushing the frontiers of wine in the province and has the well-known oenologist Ramiro Ibañez Espinar as a consultant.

Various very fine "Sherries" are produced and some table wines:

Fino Arroyuelo (5 years old, also available en rama)

Fino Ceballos (3 years old), Fino Arroyuelo (5 years old from solera with 5 criaderas)

Moscatel Oro Los Cuartillos and Moscatel Viejo Los Cuartillos  (Made from the Moscatel de Grano Menudo (smaller berries) as opposed to the more usual Moscatel de Alejandría).

Amontillado-Fino  Fossi (5 years old)

Oloroso Los Dos (7 years old and slightly sweet)

Cream El Trovador (Oloroso + Moscatel)

Viña Matlián (Table wine made from Palomino fermented in tank. They also make a slightly sweeter version of it, the Semi-dulce.
Socaire  (Palomino fermented in butt and aged 24 months without flor. There is a new slightly oxidised version

They also make very good vinegar aged in solera

Address: J. Canalejas, 51, 11130 Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz

Telephone: (+34) 956 400 150 and 956 400 767
Website: www.bodegasprimitivocollantes.com

Visits: Mon- Fri  07.00 – 15.00 by appointment