Another Wine Society treat – Sanchez Romate

 

Despite its recent renaissance, I'm always surprised that Sherry is not more popular. It offers amazing variety, complexity and largely amazing value. I have already posted on the the continuing quality of La Ina Fino – priced at £9.50 from The Wine Society including delivery. Today we looked at the Amontillado from Sanchez Romate – great value at £8.95 for the complexity it offers with an initial touch of sweetness, mouth-filling with an attractively austere finish. 

Possibly as exciting as Alexis Sanchez but at a tiny fraction of his price!   

Two fine bottles – 12 YO Oloroso + 2011 Saumur Champigny

 Williams & Humbert Collection Oloroso 12 YO

The Willliams & Humbert is a fine and complex oloroso – the half bottle sells for £8.99 in Waitrose. If I have a criticism it is that it lacks the austerity in the finish that I enjoy in a good dry Oloroso. However, this is easily outweighed by the pleasure of seeing good and interesting Sherries stocked in supermarkets. The half bottle proved to be an ideal size providing an apéro for three people.

 2011 Saumur-Champigny, La Folie, Château Yvonne 

Due to a near catastrophic failure in the provision's department this is the first Loire red we have enjoyed in 2017. Anyway the 2011 La Folie from Château Yvonne is a decidedly good start, having the softness and ready to drink character of the 2011s allied to a good concentration of black fruits. The 2011 highlights the fine work that Matthieu Vallée is doing at Yvonne. 

  Matthieu Vallée

Manuel Lozano, head winemaker of Lustau, dies

 

 Manuel Lozano

During the #winelover trip to Jerez we had a great visit on 10th February and we were very privileged to have Manuel Lozano lead us round the Lustau Bodega explaining the mysteries of sherry. He had been unwell and it wasn't certain that he would be present – but he was. It is very sad to learn that Manuel died last Tuesday 26th April.   

Statement from Lustau:

'It is with profound sadness that we announce Manuel Lozano, Head Winemaker and Chief Enologist of Bodega Lustau Sherries and Brandies died on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 after suffering from complications following a recent medical procedure. He was 61.

Recognized among the world’s great winemakers, Manuel’s passion, commitment, expertise and success leave an unforgettable legacy.

Since joining Bodega Lustau in 1999, Manuel took pride in continuing the traditions of his predecessors to dedicate his whole life to Sherry wines.

“It has been an honor and privilege to work with and learn from this exceptional man” stated Myrna Santos Mayor, North American Director for Lustau. “On behalf of the entire team at Bodegas Lustau and the Luis Caballero Group we wish to express our sincere appreciation for your outpouring of affection and kind condolences extended to us during this difficult time.”

Manuel Lozano is survived by his wife and three sons.'

For further information, please visit: www.lustau.es https://www.facebook.com/LustauSherry https://twitter.com/@bodegalustau

Sherries to the fore at the Big Fortifed Tasting

Jerez: 

The annual Big Fortified Tasting (BFT), held in London, is always a great opportunity to taste some really interesting fortified wines. However since the wines are high in alcohol, there is a limit to the number I can comfortably taste, even though I am careful to spit out. This year I chose to concentrate on some of the excellent range of sherries on show choosing to taste from those bodegas that I haven't visited during the #winelover trip to Jerez in mid-February. I then finished with the Quevedo Ports that Oscar Quevedo was showing. 

Firstly – Bodegas Tradición

This is a small bodega, which has recently been revived, but that dates back to 1650. I tasted a lovely fresh, complex Fino, a good Amontillado and a very special Oloroso – see below. 

 

A series of great sherries from Viniberia, selected by Peter Dauthieu:

Attractive, fresh but characterful Fino from Sánchez Romate – just £8.50 a bottle from The Wine Society.

Excellent Amontillado from Sánchez Romate – lovely nutty, texture.

Palo Cortado – an attractive and striking blend of rich texture and an austere finish.
 

Very fine aged Oloroso – texture with a lovely blend of richness, power and austerity. £40 a bottle from The Wine Society.

Valdespino – one of my favourite Sherry producers:

The 2015 Manzanilla En Rama showing brilliantly at the moment. 

Palo Cortado Viejo: lovely balance of power and texture.

Two very special Sherries with concentration, texture and impressive length.

Ports from Quevedo: 

From Port producer Quevedo I particularly enjoyed the complex 30 Year Old Port as well as the dense Crusted Port with its preserved cherry character. 

A few glimpses of Sanlucar de Barrameda

A few memories of our recent #winelover trip to Sanlucar de Barrameda, while we prepare for a Jerez/Manzanilla dinner in Lisbon....

 New memorial commemorating all those who have contributed to the development of democracy in Sanlúcar de Barrameda
 

Two bottles recently enjoyed: La Goya Manzanilla + 2012 Grande Escola Pegos Claros

La Goya, Manzanilla Pasada

Salvador Real: winemaker at Delgado Zuleta

Advert for La Goya in downtown Sanlucar

The Atlantic Ocean at Sanlucar that is said to give 

Manzanilla its special character  

Opening one of our bottles of La Goya Manzanilla Pasada was a great way of reliving memories of our excellent #winelover trip to the region of Jerez. La Goya is a lovely zippy Manzanilla with a salty tang – dangerously easy drinking!

With friends arriving from the UK for a few days' stay we opted to open our last bottle – 2012 Grande Escolha, Vinhas Velhas, DOC Palmela – that I was given at an excellent Pegos Claros dinner last July. Grande Escolha is made from 100% Castelo from 80-year-old vines and spends a year aging in French and American oak barrels. Herdade de Pegos Claros was established in the 1920. The Grande Escolha's attractive, complex and spicy fruit matched our rich dish of slow cooked duck. Unfortunately wine-searcher doesn't come up with a retailer selling this wine in Lisbon.      

 

#winelovers in Jerez: the highlights of the 4th anniversary

The coronation of King Magnus (Saturday 13th February 2016)

King Magnus with Luiz Alberto, a co-founder and high priest of #winelovers
(Left jab to be followed by right hook!!)

We are now back in Lisbon with time and space to reflect on the excellent #winelover trip to Jerez to celebrate the 4th anniversary of the group's founding. Time to list the highlights in chronological order of our busy programme during which we tasted and drank many excellent Sherries. 

The welcome dinner at Restaurante Bocarambo (Tuesday 9th February 2016)

This was fun and very good to meet up with old friends and meet new #winelovers. To enjoy a Cava before moving onto more serious wines – a wonderfully fresh Tio Pepe and the Río Viejo from Lustau. 

Introduction to Jerez by Beltrán Domecq, president of the Consejo

(Wednesday 10th February 2016)

Beltrán is one of the great figures of Jerez and his introductory talk on the wines of Jerez was excellently concise and clear.

 

Visit to Gonzalez Byass
(Wednesday 10th February 2016)

This was a brilliant visit and very professionally organised, from the visit to vineyard with José Manuel Arana, the viticultural manager, to the tasting of the Las Palmas range with Antonio Flores, their Sherry Blender. We also enjoyed a very good lunch starring a main dish of oxtail. 

Visit to Lustau
(Wednesday 10th February 2016)

We were treated to a detailed explanation of Amontillado by Sherry Master Manuel Lozano followed by a magical dinner in the impressive Bodega la Emperatriz wonderfully accompanied by guitar maestro – Miguel Salado.
  

Visit to Barbadillo

(Thursday 11th February 2016)

This was another very good visit learning about what makes the wines from Sanlúcar de Barrameda different from those of Jerez – in essence the bodegas' close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Montse Molina, their oenologist, and Armando Guerra, in charge of special projects, led us through the wines. At the end of the visit we enjoyed some wonderfully modern and delicious tapas.  

Visit to Delgado Zuleta     

(Thursday 11th February 2016)

Another highlight with a guided visit led by Salvador Real, the oenologist, and a tasting of some excellent and very reasonably priced Sherries – so good that we brought some back with us to Lisbon. Another very enjoyable dinner. 

Visit to Gutiérrez Colosía

(Friday 12th February 2016) 

This was a delightful visit to a family bodega - Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Colosía (owner & sherry blender), Carmen Pou (owner) and their daughter Carmen Gutiérrez Pou - in El Puerto de Santa Maria with some brilliant Sherries. If we hadn't already bought from Zuleta, we would have been sorely tempted to buy here.

Lunch at Bodegas González Obregón

(Friday 12th February 2016)

It was great to enjoy a traditional lunch with hearty dishes at Manuel González' very atmospheric bodega. 



Signing barrel at Osborne 
(Friday 12th February 2016)

Signed #winelover barrel @osborne_es

Añada tasting@ Williams & Humbert
(Saturday 13th February 2016)
This tasting of single vintage Sherries, presented by Paola Medina,  proved to be quite controversial with some #winelovers finding them unattractive. Several years back I tasted a similar experiment with George Sandeman at the Sandeman Bodega. I think these single vintage Sherries are interesting but will surely always be a small niche but one that is interesting to the adventurous wine-maker. I particularly enjoyed the 2012 and 2001 Añadas.  

 Montse Molina, oenologist at Barbadillo     

Female winemakers 

It was good to meet two female winemakers:  Montse Molina, oenologist at Barbadillo, and Paola Medina, oenologist at Williams & Humbert. 

 

  Paola Medina, oenologist at Williams & Humbert

The coronation of King Magnus 
Due to needing to spend more time with his timber business, co-founder Luiz Alberto handed over his responsibilities to Magnus Reuterdahl at the end of our BYOB event (13th February 2016). Magnus has been promoted to King with Ted Lelekas, who has organised the #winelover 4th annual celebrations in Athens, as prime minister. I understand that a board of directors will be appointed, so the #winelover group is becoming more formalised. 

Note to King Magnus – for the next #winelover trip we need name tags so we can remember who we are!

Valeska Idarraga and Fernando Parades
Many thanks to Valeska and Fernando for organising everything so well! 

  

What is the #winelover community?

It was founded in February 2012 by Luiz Alberto and André Ribeirinho some four years ago. This Facebook group has now grown to just over 20,000 members. The criteria to join is simple – to love wine. Events (#winelover hangouts) are organised so members can meet up and share wine and usually good food as well as have trips to wine regions. Every year on the anniversary of the group's foundation there is a celebration in a wine region. In 2013 it was Umbria, followed by Friuli in 2014, Lisbon in 2015 and Jerez this last week. The 2016 celebrations haven't finished as there is also a celebratory trip in Greece now in progress. The #winelover group (#winelovers against cancer) campaigns to raise money to fight cancer.

The #winelover group and its success is a product of our times as the group would not exist if there was no social media. 

    

Barrel from 1947 above that of Julian Jeffs

author of the classic work in English on the wines of Jerez