Equipo Navazos La Bota 110 Manzanilla Pasada "Capataz Cabo"

Tasting Note: A complex and powerful wine, of balanced freshness and elegant oxidation notes that make it truly unique.Intense and steely notes of salinity on the palate. This is the most complex and nuanced of Manzanilla Pasada before turning into Amontillado.
Country: Spain Region: D.O. Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda
ABV: 16.5% Bottle Size: 750ml (only 3000 Btls produced)
Natural: Yes Vegan: Yes Vegetarian: Yes  

Additional Information: This prodigious wine comes from a solera of fifteen casks, It was never bottled until Equipo Navazos selected it in 2008 for its 10th release of La Bota followed two years later by edition number 20 “Bota Punta”. For a decade, under the direction of Eduardo Ojeda,  it was carefully looked after by Capataz Cabo, a man from Jerez working in Sanlúcar who is one of the major exponents of excellence among cellarmasters in the Jerez district.

A feature that contributes to this wine’s singularity and unmatched biological character is the way the butts are filled, always with musts coming from vineyards in Sanlúcar, almost up to a tocadedos (within finger reach from the top) Well above the customary 5/6 in the Sherry region.
This way, the yeast layer or “flor” (truly weakened now by the wine’s age and lack of nutrients) in these butts is more reduced than usual and can be maintained with  scarce refills. It still performs its function as a physical barrier against the wine’s oxidation, but in its diminished state it cannot be fully effective and so this manzanilla offers elegant oxidation notes and a budding rise in its alcohol level, above 16%.

The real average age of La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada 110 “Capataz Cabo” is around 14 years. Stunningly versatile on the dinner table, it matches a wide variety of dishes, from the most easygoing rich fish dishes, fish-based rice recipes and charcuterie to the most difficult scrambled eggs with boletus, runny sheep cheeses and Asian spicy food. Best served around 12º C, in moderately large stemware.