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Jerez de la Frontera Fino Inocente (Half Bottle) Valdespino NJ
Tasting Notes: The “Fino Innocente” has an appley, toasty nose with a hint of sea salt. On the palate, this sherry is dry and expansive, with a rich, mineral-laced finish.
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With an unwavering commitment to the demands and expense of traditional Jerez winemaking—and the revered Eduardo Ojeda as its winemaker, Valdespino produces some of the region's purest and most intense Sherries, from some of its oldest soleras. Four of the house's greatest wines are sourced exclusively from arguably Jerez’s most mythic vineyard, Macharnudo. This high-altitude site of extremely pure albariza chalk northwest of Jerez has been owned by Valdespino since 1264, and produces four of its wines. The other "grand cru," Carrascal produces another. This is one of the few bodegas in Jerez to concentrate on "terroir," and single-vineyard bottlings. Eduardo Ojeda, a renowned winemaker with a vast knowledge of Sherry's culture and history, is the technical director of Valespino.
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Jerez is the Spanish name for the fortified wines that come from region surrounding the Andalucían city of Jerez de la Frontera. Jerez is one of the oldest wine producing regions in Spain, and is believed to have been first planted by the Phoenicians. Viticulture, which had been largely abandoned during Moorish rule, was revitalized by the Church in the late 13th Century. There is some speculation suggesting that the first wines shipped to the New World were "Sherries" (Christopher Columbus' home port was in Andalucía). In Elizabethan England, sacke (the English term for Sherry wine) was among the most popular drinks. There are a number of styles produced, which relate to the grape used, the place grown, and the amount of fortification with the grape spirit known locally as aguardiente. The level of fortification also determines how much, or even whether the wine will take on flavors from the local "flor" (particular strains of yeast) that settle on the wine in barrel. The world market for Sherry has fallen in the last 30 years, largely due to the response to mass-market bottlings of poor quality. A revived interest in "fine" Spanish cuisine has sparked renewed interest in the offerings from the many tiny "bodegas" that still exist throughout the region.
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An important variety for the production of dry sherries, where the grapes natural tendency to produce oxidative wines is an advantage. Somewhat nutty in character.
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Antipasti such as salamis and thinly-sliced hams, tapas and olives. Also delicious on its own.