Barbadillo Manzanilla Pasada En Rama Sherry

Intro to Barbadillo Manzanilla Pasada En Rama Sherry –

This Manzanilla has been aged for 8 years before bottling, making it a ‘Pasada’ style. The extra ageing on a ‘pasada’ builds complexity, body and adds a hint of oxidation as the veil of ‘flor’ begins to thin. It is also an ‘En Rama’ or ‘raw’ manzanilla meaning the wine has been bottled straight from the cask with no fining or filtration to preserve the body and freshness. The ‘Pastora’, or ‘shepherdess’, was the first Manzanilla brand launched by Barbadillo in 1827. The brand was resurrected in 2014 to launch this wine – Barbadillo’s finest Manzanilla.

Full tasting note and wine making –

One of the freshest and driest wines in the wine trade. “En Rama” roughly translated from Spanish, means “raw”. It refers to specific styles of Manzanilla which have been bottled from the cask with no fining and minimal filtration. This gives the wine more body and complexity. It is also a “Pasada” which refers to the wine’s extended ageing: Pastora will spend eight years in the solera, compared with three to four years for the average Manzanilla. This extra ageing allows the wine to be in contact with the flor for longer, building the wine’s complexity and brioche flavours. “Pastora” or the “shepherdess” was the name of Barbadillo’s first brand, launched in 1827. When it came to releasing their latest “En Rama” Barbadillo revived the brand – basing the label on the original 1827 branding.

The Producer –

The Barbadillo family are one of the key players in the Sherry trade. From their base in the coastal city of Sanlucar de Barrameda, at the very southwest tip of Spain, the family have forged a reputation as one of the biggest and best Sherry producers.

Never ones to rest on their laurels, the Barbadillo family continue to push the boundaries and set the trend in what is an increasingly challenging Sherry market. Barbadillo was founded by Don Beningo and Don Manuel Barbadillo in 1821. It was Don Beningo’s fortune, acquired through his business enterprises in Mexico, that allowed the family to purchase their first Bodega, the ‘Bodega del Toro’, near the ‘Castillo de San Diego’, in the heart of Sanlucar’s old high town. A vitally important location for maturing Sherry, the high town occupies the ridge of a hill overlooking the rest of Sanlucar, and the Atlantic Ocean. Its height gives unbeatable access to winds that blow in from the sea. This allows the Bodegas with their high ceilings and classic huge circular windows to regulate their temperature and capture moisture essential for propagating ‘flor’, a layer of yeast cells that float on the surface of the wine inside the casks. It is ‘flor’ that gives Manzanilla its character and instantly recognisable saline flavour.

Drink with –

A great accompaniment to olives and almonds and other tapas nibbles.