Once and Never Again: La Bota de Vinagre de Jerez Gran Reserva Bota No

Equipo Navazos and the La Bota series have changed the landscape of sherry.

The #106 takes sherry vinegar to a whole new level.

The people behind the La Bota series know sherry backwards and forwards.

They presented the world with some of sherry's treasures. They've not only unearthed epic sherries but have also expanded the horizon of what the wines of sherry country can offer. Every release from La Bota has an emphatic and unforgettably unique personality.

The Vinagre de Jerez Gran Reserva Bota No #106 is one of the most inspired and far-reaching of their releases to date. Jerez is famous for its vinegar, and #106 represents an extreme and fascinating example of the category.

This is an extremely old Vinagre de Jerez (around sixty years). It has a whopping amount of acetic acid and still has around 3% alcohol remaining. Typically, vinegar this old would be used to enhance younger ones. The people behind Equipo Navazos decided to bottle the entire barrel by itself. Once these bottles are gone, this utterly unique and profound vinegar will disappear forever.

As Equipo Navazos write on their website, they had long wanted to bottle some of the extraordinary Vinagre de Jerez stored in the Páez Morilla bodega. However, even for this intrepid group, it took some time to muster the courage for such a release.

This is an incredibly concentrated and intense vinegar that's intended to be used in drops. It brings a haunting complexity when used to finish braises. When used judiciously, it brings an incredible amount of depth to dishes along with the soaring aromatics that you would expect.

At the start, there were no commercial ambitions behind Equipo Navazos. It was simply a group of sherry-obsessed friends who wanted to get their hands on some incredible Amontillado that they had stumbled upon in a bodega. However, word was soon out about the gems they were finding in the region's bodegas.

Many of their releases have been absolutely shocking even to people very knowledgeable about sherry. Things like the Manzanilla Pasada "Bota Punta," a Fino-Amontillado based on PX, and an old, very complex cream sherry along with incredible spirit releases. The Vinagre de Jerez Gran Reserva Bota No #106 stands as one of their most ambitious releases and has to be included among the world's great vinegars.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits

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