Cota 45 Palo Cortado 'Agostado' 2019

"The Cota 45 wines are gorgeous expressions of Sanlúcar, all unfortified, some aged under flor like a manzanilla, some not, but all fresh, saline, delicate but intense." Eric Asimov

For many people Sherry is too confusing, too alcoholic, and too much like what their nan, rather than their switched-on pals, want to drink. But while quantities are falling, some producers are attracting an authenticity-thirsty audience with high quality, one-off bottlings.

One such producer is Ramiro Ibañez of Cota 45, who has long been lobbying for the EU to permit unfortified wines and a wider range of indigenous grapes to be classified as Sherry. Referencing the past while remaining grounded in the present, his wines are gold for mineral lovers.

A blend of almost-extinct varieties Perruno and Uva Rey, alongside Palomino, this unfortified Palo Cortado offers layers of ripeness and texture threaded with notes of grilled nuts and flor.