Moscatel Gloria 15%, Manuel Aragón

Appearance
Pale but quite rich lemony gold, viscous.
Nose
Azahar (orange blossom), super-ripe grape pulp, strong aromas of Moscatel de Alejandria: grapey, musky, lush and very fruity. Not over complex but a young wine and none the worse for that, fresh with vineyard aromas and a noticeable hint of alcohol. Sweet and desirable.
Palate
Light in weight but full of flavour, a little rustic, but that is what it is, sweet and nicely textured with that almost addictive Moscatel flavour which has a gentle tang and a real feel for the grape itself without secondary and tertiary flavours of fermentation and ageing. Luscious refreshing, persistent and delightful.
Comments
While not technically/legally Sherry, this is nonetheless a quality wine produced in the Sherry zone, and so I include it here because it should be DO Jerez and because it's good! To be a DO Jerez a Moscatel (which will have been bought in from Chiclana or Chipiona) must be aged (however briefly) at a bodega registered as a shipper in Jerez, El Puerto or Sanlúcar and bottled by them under their own brand name. So producers of Moscatel in the sandy coastal areas of Chipiona and Chiclana cannot sell wine they have bottled as Sherry. Their labels can only state their origin (eg Chiclana). This still needs to be sorted out.

There are two types of Moscatel: that made from super-ripe grapes or that made from sun-dried grapes. Both are fortified with next to no fermentation, and the former is sold young, like this Moscatel Gloria.The latter is usually aged in soleras and sold at a greater age. Luckily for Manuel Aragón, the bodega has a long history and good reputation, so they can manage without DO Jerez.

9.5.13 Chiclana May Abandon DO; Council Encourages World Sherry Day

The producers of Moscatel in Chiclana feel discriminated against by the Consejo Regulador, and are seriously thinking of abandoning the Denominacion de Origen because certain characteristics of their famous wine, which have now become traditional, have been vetoed by the new Reglamento. The firms in Chiclana, mostly small artesan firms and a cooperative, only want to continue doing what they have always done: supply Moscatel without wood ageing to the tabancos, without having to lose the name “Chiclana”, as allowed in the DO.

The new Reglamento insists on a minimum of two years ageing in wood for DO wines, and certainly does not permit sale of the wine in “bag in box” (BIB) format which the “Chiclaneros” want. The BIB question has been dragging on for years, and has still not been debated at the Consejo, while other regions have forged ahead, Montilla-Moriles and Huelva, for example. It has, however been used in the Jerez area, but only at the cost of the wine being sold without a DO and any reference to its origins. Despite that, considerable sales have been made to the catering trade.  The Consejo is perfectly aware of advantages of this packaging, but many feel it cheapens the image of Sherry.

Moscatel from Manuel Aragon - as CRDO would like to see it

Sales of Moscatel in the Chiclana area amount to some 60,000 litres, mostly to tabancos, which are witnessing a resurgence in Jerez, and are also traditional in other areas of the Jerez area, such as Chiclana and Sanlucar. Apparently, since the prohibition of BIB, a black market has sprung up among some aggrieved producers who will not be hamstrung by the new regulations.

The City Council of Jerez is encouraging World Sherry Day (WSD) participation. In the unlikely case you didn’t already know, this is the 26^th of this month, 80 years since the foundation of DO Sherry. The plan is that events celebrating our favourite wine will take place simultaneously worldwide.

Over 100 events are already planned, including maridajes, cocktails, lunches, dinners, tastings etc. Jerez’s tourism and festivals councillor, Antonio Real, has pointed out the importance to Jerez of the event and has encouraged private business to participate. Chelsea Anthon, co-founder of WSD, said that the event has linked people from all over the world who share a passion for Sherry, and that a revival is beginning to happen. The director general of the Consejo, Cesar Saldana, agreed saying that he had no doubt that it would be a unique celebration and hoped that it would continue to grow and enjoy success for years to come.