Equipo Navazos La Bota 130 Pasada Manzanilla, Jerez

This is biological and with an oxidative twist, saline and marine and faintly nutty. For comparison's sake, we tasted from a bottle of the number 100 that had been opened for months, and it showed how Palomino and Sherry wines clearly benefit from time in the bottle, the cellar or the glass. It has a thin and wiry structure, muscular, with fiber but no fat. It's focused and harmonious with persistence and a bone-dry finish. 2,800 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2024.

97 points Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate

This prodigious wine comes from a fifteen-cask solera that has become legendary to followers of Equipo Navazos. Nothing from this solera had ever been bottled until Equipo Navazos selected it in 2008 for its 10th release, followed by edition 20 "Bota Punta" and several more since. The singularity of the solera comes from barrels filled with Sanlúcar musts almost to the top, well above the customary 5/6 mark, leaving a thinner, more fragile layer of flor kept alive through scarce refills. Still functioning as a barrier against oxidation, though only partially effective, this gives the wine elegant oxidative notes and a rising alcohol level, above 16%. The average age today is around 13 years. A complex and powerful wine, with balanced freshness and elegant oxidation that make it truly unique.

What began as a fascination with forgotten casks in the old bodegas of Andalusia has become one of Spain's most exciting wine projects. Jesús Barquín and Eduardo Ojeda founded Equipo Navazos in 2005, bringing exceptional mature sherries to a wider audience through their individually numbered La Bota releases. Each bottling tells a slightly different story, and No. 130 is a particularly intriguing Manzanilla Pasada, capturing the extraordinary complexity that develops when the delicate wines of Sanlúcar de Barrameda are allowed to mature well beyond their usual age.

Made from Palomino Fino, Manzanilla Pasada is a rare, more mature expression of the dry wines traditionally produced in Sanlúcar. The town's cool Atlantic influence encourages the growth of flor, a protective layer of yeast that gives Manzanilla its distinctive freshness, salty character and savoury complexity. With extended ageing, the flor gradually weakens, allowing subtle oxidative notes to develop alongside the wine's original delicacy. La Bota 130 sits beautifully between the lively character of classic Manzanilla and the deeper, nuttier personality of Amontillado.

Golden amber with bright copper reflections. Toasted almond, hazelnut and dried chamomile mingle with preserved lemon, green olive and orange peel. There is a wonderful suggestion of sea breeze, sourdough and dried fennel, followed by subtle notes of walnut and old oak. The palate is completely dry, concentrated and wonderfully savoury, with roasted nuts, citrus peel and a distinctive saline edge. Its mature, gently oxidative richness is balanced by remarkable freshness, while bitter almond, chalk and a little spice carry through a long, penetrating finish. A wine with tremendous personality and the sort of complexity that makes a small glass last a very long time.

Grilled sardines, garlic prawns, salt cod fritters or anchovies on toasted sourdough would make excellent companions. It is equally appealing with Jamón Ibérico, aged Manchego, Marcona almonds or wild mushrooms sautéed with garlic and parsley. Serve lightly chilled in a proper wine glass rather than a traditional tiny sherry glass. There is simply too much going on here to confine it to a thimble.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2035+. Its extended maturation provides reasonable stability, although the freshness and delicate flor character are best appreciated sooner rather than later. Refrigerate after opening and enjoy over the following week or two.