Bodegas El Maestro Sierra, Fino

Bruised Apple, Biscuity, Salty

The wine spends four years in a solera system of 500-litre American oak butts before being transferred to bottles. This Fino spends longer time in contact with the flor than normal, and is bottled unfiltered, only undergoing some gentle cold stabilization. Top quality fino that doesn't break the bank.

Notes on the producer

These are wines made in super old barrels, moved using manual siphoning, settled by time, bottled unfiltered and unsulphured. The labels feature a fox being chased by a hunt, which Ana from the bodega says represents Maestro Sierra being chased by the larger sherry houses. Some of their practices (and the resulting wines) sit outside the normal rules for sherry, but the Consejo Regulador recognises the unique nature of the wines and grants them exceptions. The classic range of Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Amoroso, and PX are all incredibly good.