La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry

I am not sure why, but the marvelous style of wine from Andalucia in Spain seems mostly lost to North Americans. Perhaps it was the dominance of nasty British cream sherries that did it. Nonetheless, the rediscovery of sherry is beginning and I have finally jumped on for the ride. I recommend any self-respecting wine-geek to do the same as there are some stunning experiences to be had. I am planning on heading to Jerez next year and am very very excited given my experiences so far.

This is the first sherry I tried in a traditional style. Manzanilla's are very very dry and should be consumed young. The nose on this had the distinctively oxydized smell that typifies sherry, but also brought forward raisins, nectarine and honey. The sherry itself was a little thin in flavour, but was certainly nutty and salty - a bit like the sea. Very dry and acidic, this is meant to pair with food, particularly cured meats and tapas, which I did. Pairing sherry is perhaps the most fantastic experience I've had with pairing yet. So, while in the end I found this particular sherry a tad too alcoholic (insofar as I could taste too much alcohol), at the price it was a good buy. And, it began my journey towards even more exciting sherries, many of which will pop up in future posts.

Very Good
$15 for 375ml in NYC