Old, unpolished gold, quite deep for Manzanilla, legs, not completely bright.
Nose
Full, character-laden, plenty of Flor, a trace of oxidation, dry, saline and pungent, traces of sultana, hazelnut, almond, sourdough, hints of bitterness and acetaldehyde. Complex.
Palate
Dry, tangy and tasty, full yet relaxed, traces of quince and dried fruit, slight nuttiness, very fresh and clean, very long complex and intense. Quite delicious.
Comments
Saca (withdrawal from cask) October 2010 and put into 5196 half bottles. Guia Penin 92 points
Unbelievably good for its four and a half years. A whole new window on Manzanilla. None of the polished-up over-filtered commercial stuff here; it shows how much is lost by doing that. The slight sediment in this bottle is mostly Flor, and most welcome, it has hardly been filtered at all. Furthermore, it might age longer in bottle, exchanging its pungent fresh character for something softer and a little richer. I think it is from the bodegas of La Guita. The wine's name and the label illustration come from Charles Darwin's notebook on the theory of evolution. The first words were "I think.." and the diagram is his "tree of life".
Price
About £10.95 (half bottle) and very good value at Drinkmonger. UK importer Rhone to Rioja
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