In 2008, Niepoort teamed up with Equipo Navazos to create an innovative wine: an unfortified flor-aged table wine, which ignited growing interest in unique, terroir-driven wines that lacked fortification. This trend deepened when Ramiro Ibáñez and Willy Pérez started to reinvent finos and manzanillas employing ancient methods, striving for unfortified expressions of the region’s rich terroir.
At a recent tasting organized by Simplesmente Vinho and Luis Gutierrez, along with wine pioneers Ibáñez, Raúl Moreno, and Pérez, we explored ten contemporary wines from the Marco de Jerez that adhered to these philosophies.
Every February, the Simplesmente Vinho festival in Porto, Portugal, celebrates low-intervention wines. This year, the event spotlighted unfortified wines from Marco de Jerez, with a pre-festival gathering at the Niepoort cellars—a fitting venue considering Dirk Niepoort’s historic collaboration with Equipo Navazos back in 2008. Their partnership helped illuminate the fine wine potential embedded in Sherry and Manzanilla, leading to the creation of Navazos Niepoort, which uses biologically aged Palomino to express the region’s unique terroirs.
Niepoort shared insights from his journey starting with Navazos, emphasizing that, although unusual at first, it became a pivotal project similar to his beginnings in the Douro Valley. He noted that fortified wines aren’t inherently objectionable but fails to acknowledge the true terroir of a remarkable region suited for unfortified expressions. The albarizo soil coupled with flor creates a distinctive wine profile.
Through tasting, we found the wines primarily fermented in traditional sherry barrels with flor; however, they all shared the characteristic of being unfortified. Despite the predominant use of Palomino, historical records show a diverse range of varieties existed in the Marco de Jerez prior to the phylloxera plague, with some towns producing unique wine styles from up to 35 white and 43 red grape varieties.
Ibáñez explained that the Sherry industry has undergone several crises, each time giving rise to inventive products that rejuvenate it. Today, the resurgence of still white wines plays an essential role in revitalizing the region, attracting new producers and consumers alike.
Willy Pérez, born in 1981 during a peak sales year for Sherry, also noted the decline that followed. After making unfortified wines since 2002, he found inspiration through his travels—particularly in Australia—where he rediscovered the historical context of Sherry. The insights from James Busby, a significant figure in early Australian wine, prompted him to return to the roots of Sherry production, which had drastically changed over the years.
Niepoort lauded Sherry as one of the world’s best wines and an exceptional apéritif, with Palomino being a superb conduit for its terroir. He lamented that mass production nearly destroyed Sherry’s reputation 50 years ago.
As the tasting explored various wines, it became evident that each producer aims to showcase the innate beauty of the region’s grapes without the influence of fortification and industrial practices.
In our exploration, we sampled the following noteworthy offerings:
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Bodega Primitivo Collantes Tivo 2019: An unfortified wine made from the nearly extinct Uva Rey grape variety. Aged initially under flor in sherry barrels and then in tank, it presents a complex and salinity-tinged profile (95/100).
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Reta TA/MIRA Miraflores 2023: From a select plot at Miraflores, showing bright and mineral qualities with radiance and salinity (93/100).
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UBE Miraflores Alta 2023: Exhibiting a linear and salty profile, capturing purity and finesse (95/100).
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Raúl Moreno Destellos 2023: A bold blend featuring rich pear and peach fruit, aged in chestnut barrels (94/100).
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Bodegas Luis Perez La Escribana 2023: A complex, layered wine from Marchanudo, indicating a balance of ripe fruit and minerality (95/100).
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Navazos Niepoort 2018: Luis Gutierrez remarked on its impact on the region, exuding a salty intensity and vibrant citrus character (96/100).
Through this tasting journey, the revival of unfortified Sherry and Manzanilla not only reflects a return to the historical roots of winemaking in the Marco de Jerez but also invites a modern appreciation for what these exceptional wines can offer to the global wine community. For more details on these emerging trends, you can explore the foundational collaborations like that of Navazos and Niepoort.