Manzanilla Pasada Pastora

Barbadillo is one of the iconic houses of D.O. Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir. Pastora is its second Manzanilla pasada, made from Palomino grown on the albariza chalk soils that surround the town. Sanlúcar's cool, humid Atlantic air sustains a thick flor and keeps biological ageing going longer than in inland Jerez. A pasada is a Manzanilla taken to the point where the flor begins to weaken, here after about nine years in solera, so the wine starts to oxidise gently at the end of its biological life. That gives a style that keeps the saline drive of Sanlúcar but gains the toasted nut and varnish character of an older wine. Bottled en rama with minimal filtration, it shows its texture in full. The colour is a brilliant yellow, the nose is intense with nuts, a touch of varnish and salinity, and the palate is dry, concentrated and long. Served from a 375 ml bottle, it is best enjoyed soon after opening, chilled at around 9 to 11 degrees in a white wine glass. It suits cured fish, hard cheese and roasted nuts.