Barbadillo Fino Sherry, Jerez DO

Description

Barbadillo Fino Sherry is a dry and crisp style of Sherry usually served as an aperitif and is the perfect match for many tapas dishes.

Barbadillo is one of the ten largest and oldest family businesses in Spain. The company’s origins can be traced back to 1821 when Don Benigno Barbadillo and Don Manuel Lopez Barbadillo settled in Sanlucar de Barrameda in the province of Cadiz. They would release their first wine the Manzanilla Divina Pastor in 1827. The Bodegas Barbadillo Company was eventually established in 1954 and today is one of the largest and most respected Sherry, and Spanish Brandy, producers. They are widely regarded as one of the very best producers of Manzanilla Sherries, the salty, tangy Fino-style Sherries produced in Sanlucar de Barrameda. Today, the company exports to over 50 countries and has won numerous awards for quality and innovation in winemaking. The company now has interests in other regions including Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Real, in the D.O. Ribera del Duero, and Bodega Pirineos, in the D.O. Somontano.

Barbadillo is made from 100% Palomino Fino grapes. The grapes are sourced from the Gibalbín and Santa Lucía vineyards in the Jerez Superior region. The vineyards have a specific microclimate and are located inland on a site that promotes the proper ripening of the grapes. The vines have an average age of 20 years old and are planted on the famous white, chalky soils of the region known as Albariza.

After harvest, the Palomino grapes are pressed and the juice is fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures. After fermentation, the young wine is fortified by adding neutral grape spirit to increase the alcohol content to around 15%. The wine is put into 500 litre Jerez casks and then enters the Criaderas and Solera ageing system, a fractional ageing process used to make Sherry, which allows for the traditional blending of new wines with older wines.

The key step in Fino Sherry production is the development of a yeast layer called “flor” on the surface of the wine. The flor protects the wine from oxidation and gives the sherry its characteristic pale, light, and fresh style. The Sherry is aged for a minimum of 3 years. When the winemaker decides the wine is ready it is carefully racked and bottled, often with a light filtration to preserve the delicate flor character.