Two tastings in Jerez
Also, some shopping. Essential after drinking fine Sherry. By Kate
We have come to Mecca Jerez
I never leave here without feeling renewed. Often slightly hungover too but deeply, vibrantly happy, as if something a little bit magical has happened to me. Already, I feel more relaxed than I have for a long time.
There is quite a herd with me – a mixture of Green & Blue and the various hotels I consult to – and today we start off at Lustau. This is a perfect place to start, both for the beauty of the Bodegas (pictured below) and of course the wine, but also because they do the entire range so well. Jane Ward, Export Director, explains everything beautifully. Most sherry novices leave here enthusiasts – no mean feat given the complexities of the wine.
Made largely by oxygen, these wines are the antithesis of the modern, fruity style and that (along with just about everything else about them) is why I love them so. Years in barrel polish away any semblance of fruit, leaving instead sensations ranging from fresh bread, cream and milky almonds to roasted hazelnuts, black coffee and fruit cake.
The surprise of the tasting was the Almacenista Palo Cortado which I have not had before and which is completely delicious. Palo Cortado is the maverick of the Sherry pack, being a style which cannot be created. Either a fino mutates in barrel or it does not. No doubt science will one day pin-point exactly what it is that makes it so, but for now, it remains a delicious mystery and I prefer it that way.
The Brandy de Jerez too was incredibly good, so If we can’t get enough of the El Cano (which now has a rabid cult following in East Dulwich ) for Christmas, I will be investigating getting some of the Lustau. By the way, this devotion among our spirit-buying customers is really no surprise – Brandy de Jerez must be one of the most under-rated spirits in the world. Full of generous fire, it still manages to come across supremely mellow.
The big news on our visit was firstly that lighter wines are now under screw cap – a big move forward for a style which is almost ridiculously delicate. A year in bottle is as much as most Fino and Manzanilla can take before moving to a higher plane.
Secondly, Jane told me that their parent company had recently bought the La Ina brand which is certainly going to make her job a whole lot bigger. Actually, it was almost a year ago now, but news to me.
We finished with excellent tapas, particularly the tortilla which was tender, just a bit salty and delectably substantial, and then walked back to our hotel through deserted, siesta streets.
Off to Bodegas Tradition in the afternoon for a tasting of their eye-wateringly expensive but often seriously good range. They are relative infants in an industry largely dominated by companies who have been here at least since the 19th century, dating back only to 1998.
They sell only much older wines, all of which were bought, already elderly, once the magnificent Bodega had been renovated and made ready. In addition to the wines the Bodega houses the Joaquin Rivero painting collection which, I have to admit, left me rather cold.
The wines are variable – the Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximinez are extremely good – in fact, I would say without hesitation that their PX is one of the best I have ever tasted (surpassed only by a 120 year old version, from the barrel, tasted at Colosia a few years ago). In my experience, it is all about age with PX. That much residual sugar (frequently over 400g’s per litre – enough to make your toes curl up into your body) really needs as much time in wood as possible in order to become multi layered and delicious instead of merely a hefty syrup assault on the tongue.
This was extraordinary – orange peel, black coffee, dark chocolate, treacle, burnt sugar, plump raisons, curry powder and mocha to name most – but not all. I generally feel only exasperation at tasting notes which sound like shopping lists since in reality, that almost never happens. It is a rare and happy occasion such as this that all the notes, and more, are there.
Very slightly tipsy afterwards, Rebecca, Emily and I went shopping which I can highly recommend. That is – being slightly tipsy and shopping in Jerez
Made largely by oxygen, these wines are the antithesis of the modern, fruity style and that (along with just about everything else about them) is why I love them so. Years in barrel polish away any semblance of fruit, leaving instead sensations ranging from fresh bread, cream and milky almonds to roasted hazelnuts, black coffee and fruit cake.
