4/2/26 - 

You would be hard pressed to find a grape as versatile as Palomino. Throughout history it has been vinified in a virtually endless variety of styles: the many sherries of Andalusia, the mineral Listan Blancos of the Canary Islands, and the lively blends of Galicia to name a few. Despite all of this merit, Palomino is seldom put in the same conversation as other “great” varieties. The terms most often associated with the grape itself are ‘neutral’ and ‘high-yielding’, which, while true, don’t do it justice. A quick internet search reveals that even Wikipedia is skeptical of Palomino’s potential for quality outside of sherry production, saying, “the wine formed by fermentation of the grape is low in both acidity and sugar which, whilst suitable for sherry, ensures that any table wine made from it is of a consistently low quality, unless aided by acidification.” Nonsense! It sounds as though whoever wrote that was never introduced to our wines on offer today. The vino de pastos (unfortified wines) in particular are very high-quality, acid-driven wines. Palomino and its many different iterations serve as a great reminder that there is ultimately no gold-standard in winemaking; it’s the same reason points systems are futile in reviewing wines. There’s no such thing as the right amount of acid, body, alcohol, aromatics, etc. Instead, it is the more nuanced ways in which these elements work in harmony that give way to a wine’s ultimate profile. All of the big wine critics could give a wine 100 points and yet we’d all continue to pursue wines that satisfy our different tastes. Today’s offer highlights wines from producers we consider to be getting the very best out of this exceptional grape. 

Palomino being inextricably linked to sherry, there’s no better place to start than Andalusia. The winemaker who admittedly gave me the idea to do a Palomino email in the first place was Luis Perez. What initially blew me away was a wine that had caught my eye in the past but which I’d never gotten to try: his Champagne-method El Corregidor Espumoso. From a single parcel in Carrascal, the wine is aged in sherry casks for a year under flor before sun-dried Pedro Ximenez must is added at bottling/ secondary fermentation. Talk about upending people’s preconceptions of Palomino! There is a lot of energy in the wine from its high acidity, and there’s certainly a lengthy mineral texture, but it’s the sun-kissed, nutty, spicy qualities that separate the wine from your average Champagne; quite different from anything I’ve ever tasted. Furthermore, the Caberrubia Saca IX is a great example of what there is to love about the shift towards single-parcels in the Sherry Triangle. It is relatively intense for a Fino (declassified), but in a harmonious and balanced way. The rich and oxidative nose is complemented by potent salinity and an extremely drying finish.

Luis opened the bodega in 2002 with his son, Willy, who is now more officially in charge of the winemaking. Willy has become a huge figure in today’s Andalusian winemaking scene as his collaboration with Ramiro Ibanez (of Cota 45/ UBE fame), under the M. Antonio de la Riva label has garnered lots of praise. Along with Willy and Luis, a host of likeminded winemakers have emerged in the region who are unlocking Palomino’s potential for exceptional unfortified wines. Among them is Juan Francisco Pulido Cabral, who has been making wine under the label “El Piraña” since 2022. Having inherited vines from his father that had already been farmed organically since the ‘90’s, Juan is producing brilliant, unfortified, parcel-specific wines. His style involves a lot of finesse, as he often deliberately keeps the flor from over imposing on the pure fruit that lays at the core of his wines; to achieve this, he often fills up his botas more than usual. On offer today are his 2023 Tarbissana (a non-oxidative blend of parcels in Trebujuena), and 2023 Alventus (from a single pago along the Guadalquivir River). 

Lastly, as a cherry on top, we’ve brought in the new vintages of what I would call two modern day classics in the form of Muchada-Leclapart’s Lumiere and Envinate’s Benje Blanco. With all of the different styles put forth by all of these producers, there’s something for everyone to love about Palomino. Be it oxidative or not, fortified or unfortified, rich or elegant, complex or easy-drinking, there will always be more layers of the grape to uncover. As someone who is constantly tasting wines, it’s always a great feeling when a wine catches you off guard, defying expectations. Almost all of the wines on offer today have had this effect on me, and I couldn’t be happier to be offering them out today. Get them while you can!
 
-Nick Douglas

>>>VIEW THE WINES<<<