“Bota NO”, saca of May, 2018
D.O. Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda
16.5% alc. – 50cl
Hijos de Rainera Pérez Marín
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Production: 900 bottles
The wine from this prodigious set of casks was never bottled until Equipo Navazos selected it in 2008 for its 10th release of ‘La Bota de…’, followed two years later by edition number 20 “Bota Punta”. Then there have been a few very limited releases until in December 2017 we launched La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada 80 “Bota Punta”, and then in May 2018 this La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada 83 “Bota NO”, again from a single cask of very peculiar character, number 11 out of a solera of 15. This is a very special wine that shows a particular complexity due to an astonishing balance of finesse and chalky minerality, and roasted dry fruit nuances due to the start of the process of amontillamiento. This manzanilla pasada is actually in the border with a manzanilla amontillada, a traditional denomination that in our opinion is wrongly banned from labels.
What makes this wine truly unique and gifted with unmatched biological character (intense and steely salty notes on the palate) is that the butts are filled up to “a tocadedos” level—well above the 5/6 mark that is common in the Sherry district. In this fashion, the layer of yeast/flor inside these butts (much weakened by the age and lack of nutrients of the wine) is significantly smaller and thinner and can be kept alive on the sole basis of scarce periodic refreshments—acting as barely sufficient barrier between the wine and the intensely oxidizing effect of air. On the other hand, its very weakness implies that this protective effect is only a mild one, which is evidenced in the elegant oxidative notes of this manzanilla as well as the rising level of alcohol, climbing above 16%.
The real average age of this wine must be around 14 years. It is a complex and powerful wine, of balanced freshness and elegant oxidation notes that make it truly unique. Stunningly versatile on the dinner table, it matches a wide variety of dishes, from the most easygoing (rich fish dishes, fish-based rice recipes, charcuterie) to the most difficult (scrambled eggs with boletus edulis, runny sheep cheeses). Best served around 12º C, in moderately large stemware.