Barbadillo

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Winery
Barbadillo
About Winery

Barbadillo is one of the most venerable of all sherry producers, certainly the most famous Bodega from the town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and was founded in 1821 and now farm an impressive 500 hectares, all located in two estates, Gibalbin and Santa Lucia, both of which fall into the Upper Jerez sub-region. They make sherries in all styles, with Manzanilla their flag-ship and the vast majority of the wines undergoing the alchemical process of fractional blending in the Solera system, a process of subtle and gradual ageing and regeneration which underwrites the structural complexity of all the styles. The products of the Soleras are by definition non-vintage, their wines defying chronology through a gradual process of rejuvenation as the youngest butts ( known as criaderas) refresh the older ones (añadas, in a process known rather poetically as ‘running the scales’ ) all the way down to the oldest tier ( known as the solera itself ), which is the source of the final and regular bottlings.

Montse Molina

Montse Molina is oenologist at Barbadillo, which means that she’s in charge of one of the most important biological ageing systems in the Jerez Region and hence, responsible for an enormous expanse of flor—the yeast she so carefully oversees, just like the many experts who preceded her at the winery.

Montse confesses that, in spite of what is known about this type of ageing, she’s always amazed how each barrel of wine is a world in itself and this is probably why it continues to be a mystery to oenologists from other regions. “When we oenologists get together and the subject of Sherry Wines arises, my colleagues still refer to them as ‘your wines’—youunderstand them”. She adds that when she came to Sanlúcar from her native Catalonia, her goal was to be totally in control and know exactly what was occurring in each barrel. But she soon found out that “you have to learn to say ‘I don’t know’ and that’s ok, it’s just as good. The desire to be totally in control is unrealistic in this winemaking world” and concludes by saying that ageing wine under a veil of floris somewhat of a miracle—from the very moment biological ageing starts, there are clear signs that a transformation is taking place that makes these wines delicate, flavourful, long-lasting and concentrated.

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