La Gitana, Manzanilla En Rama, Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain
£16.99, virginwines.co.uk; £16.95, reduced to £15.95 each as part of a mixed case, leaandsandeman.co.uk; £65 per case of six bottles in bond (not including duty and VAT), clarionwines.co.uk; £130 per case of 12 bottles in bond (duty and VAT will be added and the minimum order is £500), farrvintners.com
There are fewer “anniversary moments” in the wine trade these days. I remember, 30 or so years ago, when we used to get very excited about the arrival of the new vintage of Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc. A few vintage Port declarations have been announced in the last week or so, but I doubt you heard any fanfare. The Champagne houses make it up as they go along, tooting their horns every so often to try and drum up business for their ubiquitous prestige cuvée releases. There are also a few “National Days”, which generic bodies try to hitch a ride on in order to bathe their wines in the spotlight for a moment or so.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
None of these “celebrations” is as pulse-quickening as the moment that La Gitana’s En Rama Manzanilla hits the shelves. You will be familiar with the regular La Gitana – the finest value, aperitif-style dry sherry on the planet (£11.19, Waitrose; £10, virginwines.co.uk; £8, 75cl bottle, Sainsbury’s). The En Rama version is the fresh-as-daisies, natural yeasts, honest and elemental style of Manzanilla. This is a bone dry, palate-invigorating, sharply tangy sherry and it is bottled without filtration or fining. It is literally taken from the barrel and is the untainted juice directly harvested from palomino grapes grown in the famous Albariza soils of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The four merchants listed have just this second received their stock so make that call today!
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)
-
Should you invest in UK equities?The FTSE 100 hit a record high this week, but UK equities remain unloved and undervalued compared to their global and US peers. Should you snap them up at a discount?
-
State pension errors: DWP urged to check for mistakes among divorced peopleFormer pensions minister Steve Webb says there are a high number of divorced women on low state pensions. Now MPs want the DWP to check if there were any errors in “potentially underpaying men and women who are divorced”.
-
A South African adventureReviews From buzzy Johannesburg to big game drives, South Africa has it all, says Katie Monk
-
Villa Gaia Rock: perfect harmony in CorfuReviews Blend in with your surroundings at the new Villa Gaia Rock in Corfu.
-
Indulge your wild side with a safari in deepest KentReviews Get up close to the animals at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve, says Matthew Partridge
-
Two stunning Sicilian villasReviews There is so much to see in Sicily, says Chris Carter. Villa stays allow you to take it all in.
-
Wine of the week: New Zealand’s finest “white” pinot noirReviews Act without delay to secure this enchanting Kiwi white – there is nothing like it on earth
-
Wine of the week: A work of art from ProvenceReviews This wine soars above all others with its grace, refinement and impressively long finish
-
Ellenborough Park: a winning country house hotelReviews Come to Ellenborough Park for the horse racing, stay for the fine dining, says Matthew Partridge
-
The Lygon Arms: a Cotswolds hotel full of historyReviews The Lygon Arms in Broadway is such an impressive hotel that some people never want to leave, says Matthew Partridge.
