La Bota de Fino Amontillado #24 'Montilla'

[Christofer_C]

From Barquin & Co, technically a fino sherry but a special one indeed. This fino has just begun its early stages of amontillamiento and is stuck in some delicious twilight zone after 20+ years, still has the delicacy of a fino but the breadth of an amontillado. Thirteen specially selected butts out of 63 from Pérez Barquero.

Directly as I do the first pour the intense gold copper shimmer, igniting memories of the warmth of the red iron oxide soil of the Mediterranean.

The fino characteristics run like a baseline through the smell but its heavier, candied orange peel, an oxidized tone that mingles with a minerality that makes it smell like some odd mix of burnt wood/musk/sandalwood that is absolutely gorgeous. You just end up sitting there trying to push your nose as far down the glass as possible, so well put together! As it gets closer to room temperature some sweet fruit comes up through all that manly minerality; discrete marzipan cherries, some red apple peel and a salty tangy-ness of the minerals that makes you recall the manzanillas from Sanlúcar, but bigger. Amazing smell I could go on, it changes in the glass constantly…
Definitely more texture, almost oily but fresh and elegant… ooohh that lenght! Trademarked ‘Equipo Navazos goosebumps’. This is seriously hard to explain, the palate is broad, thick and with just a beautiful hint of oxidation but the it remains a fino, its bone-dry, very elegant and my mouth is screaming for food. There is obviously a massive minerality, salty and hinting on nutty but the its base tones are that of sweet orange peel, excellent medicinal character, dry yellow fruit?
It is truly hard to do it justice on the palate but the whole wine is so well put together, it’s like a glorious twilight mix of a bold elegance of the fino, the heavier base notes of an Amontillado and the salty character of a Manzanilla. Truly stunning wine, the one you put down your pen, close your eyes and just enjoy. Knowing other Equipo-sherries this will just get better in two to three days and I think is the best fino I’ve ever had by far, Paul S you need to tries this!! The smell is something really special and so is the wine, don’t go looking for it, no idea of buying, in a dickensian manner I want to keep this for myself!
96+++