A Treasure, Almost Lost
La Bota Manzanilla Pasada #30
"I don't know of anything else
like it in Sherry country."
Equipo Navazos' La Bota series is one of the most intriguing, dynamic, and compelling projects in the world of wine.
As a business venture, it may border on preposterous. But that's not the point. This is more a project driven by scholarship, by reverence for some of the greatest wines in the world, that are resting, aging, undiscovered, in the grand Bodegas of Sherry.
Today we present what amounts to a few cases of one of the greatest Sherries - one of the greatest wines - we've ever experienced. Jesús Barquin, one of the two founders of this project, was in the store recently. He is a passionate man and never at a loss for words.
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Of this bottle, he said only: "This is a very special wine. I don't know of anything else like it in Sherry country." Describing the wine is complicated; recognizing its stature is not.
For those who have written off Sherry as something best suited for older British ladies in rooms swimming with doilies and glass display cases filled with porcelain statuettes - it's time to reconsider.
For fans of the Loire: Sherry can have all the sea-inflected minerality of Muscadet, all the meat and depth of Chenin.
For fans of Riesling: Sherry wields a razor-sharp cut, fine lines etched with minerals and citrus.
For fans of Madeira: Sherry flaunts a similar uniqueness, nuttiness, a multi-faceted complexity, a cerebral, brain-melting awesomeness that few other wines can even come close to.
It's Friday - it's time to let your wild side experience something grand. Try a bottle - it'll blow you away. Open a bottle and keep it in the fridge, the wine will only develop - have no worries about leaving it there for 3-4 days and retasting. (Over four days, you're looking at only $14.74 per "experience" - right?)
Now, to get a bit more geeky: Equipo Navazos' Manzanilla Pasada #30 originates from a solera founded in 1986 at the Bodegas La Guita. This is the same solera that produced the #10 and #20, for you die-hard Equipo fans.
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The wine from this solera was never commercialized simply because the market was, at the time, moving toward light and crisp Manzanillas. However, the "Capataz" (the bodega foreman) couldn't let Manzanilla of such incredible quality go, and he kept it going by drawing small amounts of wine and refreshing it to keep the flor (yeasts) alive.
Today, when most Manzanillas are between three to four years old, the #30 boasts an average age of 15 years.
The result is an epic bottle of Sherry, a wine that is nearly impossible to describe - and just as impossible not to appreciate. There is just more of everything.
Our pricing today is the lowest in the country - by a good margin. For the Sherry fanatic, this is a no-brainer.
Still, today we hope that the circle of Sherry fans grows,that those who have been curious, who have been considering... take the leap and experience what this region can produce.
For bottles that are open in the fridge, again, have no worries enjoying it over 3-4 days -it'll only grow in complexity. For those would like to cellar the wine further, five years or longer will not be a problem.
What's here today will be gone tomorrow... and never again. To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits