Castillo de Argüeso 2017 11.5%, Bodegas Argüeso

Appearance
Bright, pale strawy gold with golden reflections.
Nose

Young and fresh and interesting and with a little weight behind.First there are aromas of fruit: apple mainly, then grasses and herbs - with a distinct trace of camomile  -  then a salty, briny note and even a faint hint of confectionery. Appealing and characterful.

Palate

Broadly similar on the palate; the apple is good and ripe and there is a gentle texture of grapeskin and chalk. Acidity is fairly low but sufficient and there is a barely perceptible oxidative note, so the wine is well rounded and smooth with that classic Palomino appley fruit and a decently long finish.

Comments

This wine is very good value, not because it is cheap but because it is cheap and good. It is 100% Palomino from the albariza vineyards of Sanlúcar, the same source as the firm´s delightful Manzanillas. It is fermented at low temperature to retain all the primary aromas and bottled as soon as it is ready. Simple as that really, but a job well done. It could be described as a polished up mosto or an unfortified Manzanilla, and either way it is a very attractive wine.

Price
3.25 euros, Licores Corredera

Castillo de Argüeso NV 11.5% Bodegas Argüeso

Appearance

Bright pale golden straw with golden glints.

Nose

An interesting mix of fruit and salt. Really salty and mineral with lots of fresh sea air and a raw young green Palomino fruit. Unusual but natural. No flor, no crianza, just a mosto cleaned up for bottling, but with some real Palomino character. Like Manzanilla without the flor.

Palate

Fresh, light and clean with comparatively low acid and a bit less salty than the nose, but that allows the grape itself to really comes through with gentle leafy appley fruit. It could only be Palomino and is all the better for that.

Comments

From the Manzanilla specialists Herederos de Argüeso, now part of Francisco Yuste, this is 100% Palomino grown in albariza soils in the Sanlúcar area. It is a straight Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz table wine at only 11.5%, possibly because the grapes were picked earlier to retain acidity, but it works well at what used to be a normal strength. I do wish they would put vintage dates on the labels, even if they were stamped on with the lot number or onto the cork. Obviously one wants to avoid having to print new labels every year, but the consumer needs an idea of the wine's age. This will be 2015/2016 and it is very good value.

Price

4.85 euros, Licores Corredera