Yeasty, Almonds Chamomile

Spain / Fortified, Sherry / Palomino / Organic

Manzanilla Gabriela is the flagship wine of Bodegas Sánchez Ayala in Sanlucar. It is named after a 19th century singer and dancer Gabriela Ortega Feria. They maintain around 90 hectares of vineyards named La Soledad and Las Cañas in the pago Balba.Think of Manzanilla as the sibling of Fino. Similar yet different. If you like salt and savoury balanced with nuttyness and delicate floral notes then you will enjoy this Manzanilla.

Notes on the producer

The history of Sánchez Ayala goes back as far as 1789 and starts with the Marquess of Arizon. He owned a trading business with the Americas and a monumental compound in Sanlúcar – The Palacio de Arizón is now a hotel, just behind the actual bodegas. In 1717 the transatlantic shipping rules had become more relaxed and ships could also unload on the coast of Cádiz, not just in Seville, leading to a series of palaces of wealthy traders (cargadores de Indias) especially in the Barrio Bajo de Sanúcar. In 1798 the bodega was sold to the Vicario Inigo family, also shippers. Beside the original 18th century bodega San Pedro – which was one of the first buildings specifically built for wine storage and maturation, with thick walls, a large volume and a sloping roof – they acquired the 19th century bodega San Miguel which has a curious neo-mudejar façade.