Bodegas: José Mellado Martín

This family bodega was founded in 1974, though its founder, José Mellado Martín (born 1935) was brought up with the wines of Chipiona, where in many homes people used to make a little Moscatel, which has an aroma which never leaves you. The Mellado family was no different and José heeded the call to the wine trade. They bought their first bodega, called Bodegón Alobasto in the Calle del Castillo in 1974 and before long were producing 1,500,000 litres and bottling them.

The new bodega built 1990

In 1980 they consolidated with the acquisition of another bodega opposite Alobasto from Florido Hermanos and made this the centre of operations introducing their own brand, called the Playa Regla range, at the same time. Until then they had supplied Moscatel to the big bodegas such as Domecq, Garvey, Real Tesoro, Terry etc. They are now the largest Moscatel producer. In 1985 they launched the Moscatel de Pasas Soleras de la Abuela, a special wine made from selected sun-dried Moscatel grapes.

Moscatel sunning at the bodega

1990 saw the construction of another bodega sited in one of the firm’s vineyards – they own all their vineyard - just off the Rota road, and here they installed more up to date equipment. While they specialise in Chipiona’s famous Moscatel, famous since before Roman times, they also produce a good range of other wines, though they cannot carry the DO Jerez as they are aged in Chipiona. If you are in Chipiona you can buy the wine bottled or draught at the bodega or a two despachos (shops) in the Avenida de la Diputación and Calle Víctor Pradera. The firm is registered with the Consejo as a shipping bodega.

Legendary Chipiona-born singer and actress Rocio Jurado visiting

The Playa Regla range consists of:

Moscatel: Dorado, Oscuro, Especial and Pasas, each with different degrees of sunning and ageing

Fino, Oloroso and Cream

Address: Crtra. A-491 Chipiona-Rota, Km. 2, 11550 Chipiona, Cádiz

Telephone: (+34) 956 370 197

Internet: www.josemelladomartin.com, e-mail: bodegas@josemelladomartin.com

Visits? By appointment

22.7.15 Chipiona Festival del Moscatel; Sherry in Top 20 World Wineries

For the 35th year the Moscatel Festival will take place in Chipiona between the 13^th and 16^th of August. It will begin with the pregón (opening speech) accompanied by a tasting of Moscatel served by venencia from the Cooperative Católico Agrícola at the Plaza Andalucía.

Next evening bodegas José Mellado Martín will be serving Moscatel by venencia at the plaza for the Carnival evening. The well-known group Ecos del Rocío will perform the following evening at the Colegio Príbcipe Felipe and there will be a tasting of Moscatel from César Florido, also served by venencia. The festival will end with an equestrian festival of the association of disabled children.

It is also announced that the Chipiona’s Semana Cultural Rocío Jurado will take place 24^th-28^th of August, and the singer Isabel Fayos will be taking part. Rocío was a great singer born in Chipiona, where most of the Moscatel found in the Sherry area comes from.

Last year's pregon (foto:lavozdigital.es)

 The International Association of Wine & Spirit Writers and Journalists have chosen this year’s list of the 100 best wineries in the world, and six Spanish bodegas feature in the top 20. As far as Sherry is concerned, Emilio Lustau are in 7^th place and González Byass are in 11^th place. The wineries were chosen based on the number of medals won in international competitions in 2014.

Bodegas: Cesar Florido

This old and interesting family firm, in the trade since the XVIII century, was founded in 1887, being the oldest surviving bodega in Chipiona and is one of only two non-cooperative bodegas in the town. Once, Chipiona had dozens of bodegas but now there are two plus the Cooperativa Catolica Agricola. Most Chipiona wine – mainly Moscatel - is sold to the big bodegas, but Florido bottle their own, or sell in bulk. They specialise in Moscatel de Alejandria. Chipiona is the perfect place for the Moscatel which grows happily on the fine sandy soils close to the Atlantic coast south of Sanlucar. This sand has meant that the vines have not needed to be grafted against Phylloxera.

The firm, run by 5^th generation Cesar Florido, buys in some grapes, but they mainly come from 21 hectares of family-owned vineyards whose vines are anywhere between 15 and 50 years old. Grapes which are to be sun dried are simply laid out on the sand without the usual esparto grass mats or sheets of plastic. The sand is dry enough to avoid any risk of rot.

They have three bodegas, all situated in the old centre of Chipiona: Calle Padre Lerchundi is where they have the winemaking facilities, offices and bottling; the bodegas in Calle Castillo and Calle Ladislao Carrascosa contain ageing wines. All have the traditional "patio bodeguero". One can buy wine at each of the bodegas at their despachos de vino. Sales are largely domestic, but they do export, principally to the USA but also to the UK.

The wines:

Fino Cesar: made from Chipiona, Balbaina and Miraflores grapes, at least 3 years old from 62 butt solera. All the other wines are aged in bocoyes - butts of 40 arrobas rather than the usual 30.

Oloroso Seco Cruz del Mar: made from pago Balbaina grapes and aged in solera for 12 years

Peña del Aguila Palo Cortado 20%: very limited quantities, solera aged for 38 years

Cream Cruz del Mar: at least 5 years old, blended with Oloroso and Moscatel

Moscatel Pasas: The top of the Moscatel range, made from Moscatel grapes sun-dried for 15-20 days (which means a 50% loss in grape weight) giving a huge increase in relative sugars, aged in solera for up to 9 years

Moscatel Dorado 15% (17.5 for export): Mistela made from super-ripe but not sun dried grapes aged for one year in wood

Moscatel Especial 18%: Mistela as above but with added arrope for complexity and aged for one year in wood

While Chipiona is in the zona de produccion it is not in the zona de crianza, so the wines don't qualify for DO Sherry, but they are still monitored by the Consejo. Moscatel de Chipiona has long had a fine reputation of its own, and this is THE bodega in the town.

Address: Calle Padre Lerchundi, 35-37, 11550 Chipiona, Cadiz

Telephone: (+34) 956 371 285

Web: www.bodegasflorido.com

Visits? Yes, by previous appointment

Moscatel de Chipiona 15%, Emilio Lustau

Appearance
Very pale, bright silvery gold with the slightest trace of green, legs.
Nose
Made from super ripe grapes, but not pasificada, very fresh with that lovely grapey Moscatel aroma, trace tartaric, light and sweet but not over sweet, very attractive.
Palate
Sweet but very fresh, with the weight of its 15%, a mistela style wine, not much acidity, but certainly tangy, with a trace of tannin which along with the tanginess balances the sweetness, not aged.
Comments
A really good example of Moscatel must fortified to retain the sweetness and the exquisite Moscatel freshness and flavour. Grown on sandy soils at Chipiona near the coast. Delicious, and good value.

Price

£5.99 (50cl) from Waitrose