In my blog entry of 10th May I talked about the “en rama” sherries that have been released by the company Lustau and gave my impressions of the “en rama” fino made in Jerez. Earlier this week on a wine tour I made to the Jerez area I picked up a bottle of the “en rama” manzanilla produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the only town where manzanilla can be produced. The manzanilla was bottled without filtering from one solera cask chosen from a total of 135 casks. On opening the bottle last night the nose had a very strong aroma of iodine combined with floral and nutty notes. On the palate it showed an incredible tanginess and was floral, almondy and mineral as well as having a citric streak. On tasting again today the iodine aroma had become more subdued on the nose and there was a greater nuttiness with floral aromas reminiscent of camomile. This is a really superlative manzanilla which you should taste if you get the chance.
