Valdespino Inocente Fino Sherry Single Vineyard NV: Deep gold color; lemon peel, grapefruit, green apple, green olive, mushroom, almond, saline, minerality, yeast, oak on the nose and palate.
Dry; complex, intense flavors. Palomino grapes sourced from the famous Macharnudo estate. Valdespino Inocente is a rare single vineyard fino fermented in 158.5-gallon American oak butts, which is rare, most finos today are fermented in tank, then aged in cask. Aged in solera system with sherry under flor. Valdespino uses a 10-criadera system—criaderas are the oak casks leading to the solera, which is the final cask from which the wine is drawn for bottling. 15% ABV
Valdespino’s system is notable for its length. Most sherry today involves only two or three criaderas, while Valdespino uses 10. The process begins in the top criadera. When wine is drawn from the bottom barrel—the solera (comes from the Spanish word “suelo” meaning floor), then wine is racked (drawn) from the criadera immediately above into the solera, and the process repeats up the system until the top criadera is emptied and filled with newly fermented wine. The process takes 10 years to complete, an extraordinary length for fino sherry.
The Valdespino system imparts more oak and more depth, intensity, richness and complexity than common practice. The fermentation in oak and the extended solera system sets Valdespino Inocente Fino Sherry apart from other fino sherries. Fino sherry from the Jerez region of southern Spain (the word sherry is Anglicized word for Jerez) are the lightest and driest sherries, and they are not for every taste. Do not expect rich sweetness. Finos are bone dry with no residual sugar. Yeast and nuts, typically almonds, and subtle saltiness and bitterness are among the common, and desired, taste notes. Best served chilled to 40-50 F.
Bodega Valdespino traces roots back to 1264. Don Alfonso Valdespino was the first member of the Valdespino family to cultivate and age sherry. Don Alfonso was one of the 24 Christian Knights who fought with King Alonso to re-conquer the City of Jerez from the Moors. The king rewarded Don Alfonso’s service with land in Jerez. Their Inocente wine is the only sherry whose grapes are harvested from one vineyard only. Valdespino is owned by José Estevez de los Reyes. After acquisitions, the Estevez family now owns 95% of the company. The company acquired Valdespino in 1999. The multi-brand company now is called the Estévez Group.
Valdespino Inocente Fino Sherry Single Vineyard NV is textbook, quality fino sherry. It is the only sherry made from grapes from a single vineyard. Extraordinarily long and unique production: oak barrel fermentation, 10 criadera solara system (the standard is two or three). Winery with history dating from 1264. Lemon, grapefruit, green apple flavors framed by flor notes of bread, yeast. Saline and bitters on the finish. Fino sherry is not for everyone, but if you enjoy, this ranks among the best. Pair with seafood, shellfish, sushi. Tapas—salted almonds, olives, anchovies, chorizo. Chilled soups, gazpacho, salmorejo. Nuts. Roasted peppers with tuna, tomato-based dishes, light salads. Cheese—young manchego, mild and medium cheddar, Cheshire, burrata, mozzarella, feta, San Simon d’Acosta. $25-32
José Estévez Valdespino website
