Manzanilla La Kika

Bodegas Yuste makes Manzanilla La Kika in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, named for Francisco Yuste's mother. Manzanilla is Palomino grown on the chalk-white albariza soils of the Jerez region, fortified to 15% and aged under flor in the cool, humid Atlantic cellars of Sanlúcar. The town's position at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, where damp sea air keeps the flor thick and active through the year, is what gives Manzanilla its salinity and freshness compared with the inland cellars. This wine spends around eleven years under the veil, far longer than a standard Manzanilla. Through that time the flor strips the wine bone dry of sugar and oxygen, while autolysis of the spent yeast builds nutty, bready complexity and the long ageing carries the wine towards an amontillado-like depth. The colour is old gold. The nose evokes nuts, yeast and a gentle sea breeze. The palate is dry and complex, with almond, roasted nut, green apple and a saline, taut finish. Serve well chilled at 7 to 9 degrees in a white-wine glass. It suits olives, fried fish and aged cheese.