Raúl Moreno Destellos 2023

Nutty, apricots, peaches, orange zest and baking spice and a refreshing salinity on the finish. Oxidised and light tannins, great texture. A great accompaniment to salty foods. 

Country: Spain Region: Cadiz  Grape: Palomino, Arinto
ABV: 11.5%

Raúl Moreno Yagüe is an innovative Cádiz winemaker exploring the region's traditional grape, particularly Palomino and other rare varieties, through distinctive, small-scale wines that combine local heritage with experimentation. He's a highly experienced international sommelier, educator, viticulturist and winemaker who has spent decades accumulating experience around the world and has brought that knowledge back to Jerez, where he's applying it to old vines and traditional Andalusian varieties in unconventional ways.

Raúl Moreno’s approach is quite unusual for the Jerez region. Rather than concentrating exclusively on traditional fortified Sherry, he works with unfortified "vinos de pasto", old local varieties and unusual winemaking techniques. His wines can involve skin fermentation, amphora, flor ageing and used Manzanilla and Amontillado barrels, as well as varieties and techniques inspired by his international experience.

Foot trodden and co-fermented  Settled and reductively aged in 700L old sherry casks made of chesnut no battonage. No sulphites added before bottling

Grapes from the Pago Pastrana and Pago Miraflores vineyards, both have the white chalky albariza soil; this absorbs the winter rain and traps moisture for the vines during hot summers. Pastrana was selected as the site with highest pure chalk content and was planted in 1945.