Equipo Navazos La Bota 124 Fino Amontillado, Montilla-Moriles

Similar to La Bota de Fino 85 from October 2018, the NV La Bota de Fino 124 Un Fino que va para Amontillado… is from Montilla-Moriles and produced with Pedro Ximénez grapes. This wine, from the same origin as edition 24, 45 and 85, would be called Fino Amontillado if it wasn't forbidden. They have taken biological aging under flor to an extreme, close to 15 years, and the wine was never fortified. The grapes were close to 15% alcohol, and the alcohol level increased to 16.5% through evaporation and concentration. It has power and great finesse, a textbook Fino nose with a volatile touch that gives it complexity and lifts up the wine. It has finesse, it's getting complex and it's getting polished by the time in bottle. It has pungent flavors, notes of esparto, hazelnuts and varnish, and a touch of bitterness in the finish. 2,800 bottles were filled in 2023.

96 points Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate

Another Fino on its first steps toward becoming an Amontillado. It's a 15-year-old wine sourced from the oldest fino solera in Pérez Barquero's Bodega Los Amigos. From here, twelve butts were selected that showed amontillado notes and yet preserved fino character. It remains a true fino, aged under a fragile layer of flor. It's a fascinating, deep and elegant wine, exceptionally versatile at the table. Bottled in November 2023, unfined and virtually unfiltered, its golden colour is the same as straight from the barrel.

Equipo Navazos has become one of the most fascinating names in Spanish wine, thanks to its extraordinary ability to uncover rare treasures ageing quietly in the bodegas of Andalusia. Founded in 2005 by Jesús Barquín and Eduardo Ojeda, the project began with a small group of enthusiasts selecting exceptional casks for private bottlings. Today, the numbered La Bota releases are eagerly sought by sherry lovers around the world. No. 124 explores that intriguing point where the delicacy of Fino begins to develop the deeper, nuttier character of Amontillado.

Montilla Moriles, south of Córdoba, is the spiritual home of Pedro Ximénez, a grape capable of producing everything from bone dry whites to some of the richest sweet wines imaginable. Here, the focus is entirely on its dry, savoury personality. Fino Amontillado describes a wine that has spent considerable time ageing beneath flor, the protective yeast layer responsible for Fino's distinctive character, before developing the more complex qualities associated with Amontillado. The result combines the freshness of biological ageing with the remarkable depth that comes from extended maturation.

Deep golden straw with amber reflections, releasing aromas of toasted almond, hazelnut and preserved lemon. Chamomile, orange peel and green olive emerge alongside sourdough, dried herbs and a faint suggestion of sea spray. The palate is bone dry and beautifully concentrated, with roasted nuts, citrus peel and a gently oxidative character supported by a striking savoury freshness. Bitter almond, chalk and a saline tang carry through an exceptionally persistent finish.

Jamón Ibérico, aged Manchego and Marcona almonds would be a wonderful introduction, while garlic prawns, salt cod croquettes, grilled sardines or mushrooms sautéed with parsley and olive oil will reveal just how versatile this style can be. Serve lightly chilled in a proper wine glass rather than a tiny sherry glass. There is far too much going on here to rush through a thimble.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2038. Once opened, refrigerate and enjoy over the following week or two while its freshness is at its best.