Barbadillo En Singular Sábalo 2023

The Barbadillo En Singular - Sábalo was born in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the province of Cádiz, in Andalusia. The grapes come from two plots planted on albariza, a white soil of limestone and silica: Plantalina, close to the ocean, and Burujena, a hill overlooking the Guadalquivir marshes. The hot climate there is tempered by Atlantic breezes, which bring humidity and freshness to the vines.

The Palomino, grown organically for more than twenty years, is vinified as a dry white by Montse Molina, renowned for her manzanillas. After fermentation, the wine is aged for four months on its lees, which give it texture and complexity. The name of the cuvée pays tribute to the shad, a fish that has almost disappeared from this coast.

This wine reveals notes of lemon, pomelo, green apple, macadamia nut, fresh almond, brioche, yeast and stone. The palate is saline, with a fairly broad structure and ample substance. A pleasant bitterness tightens the finish and prolongs the briny sensation.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.