Palomino Fino, “La Bota 114”, “Florpower MMXXI”, Vino Blanco, Sanlúcar de Barrameda

As scholars of Andalucían wine, the members of Equipo Navazos have a keen interest in exploring flor outside the context of fortification, as well as how flor interacts with, and helps deliver, site and vintage character—two factors underplayed in traditional large-scale solera-based Sherry production. Their “Florpower” series uses grapes from a single vintage, grown in a single vineyard, and exposed to flor—sometimes for mere months, and sometimes for years. This release, La Bota #114, comprises 55- to 85-year-old Palomino Fino from the 2021 vintage (corresponding to the Roman numerals in the wine’s name) planted in the albariza soils of the esteemed Miraflores la Baja vineyard in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. It was fermented spontaneously in stainless steel, then passed six months in bota under flor, followed by an additional month of assembling in steel (with flor present). It is both delicate and penetrating, with its classically steely manzanilla character delivered on a lighter-alcohol and more fruit-inflected frame. 11.5% alcohol; 4,200 bottles produced.