Barrialto Santa Brigida 2019

Rafael Rodríguez is a third generation grape grower in the Barrialto subzone of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Andalucia. Known as a Mayetero (a local term for a viticulturist who makes his own wines by hand), Rafa produces natural, artisanal white wines from old-vine palomino grapes. All grapes are hand harvested and his wines are fermented with native yeasts and aged in old Manzanilla sherry butts without fortification.

Barrialto Sobre Lías Santa Brigida, is 100% Palomino fermented in old 500 liter Manzanilla casks. The wine is aged for nine months on the lees with bâttonnage, then aged a further 18 months in bottle. The wine is a blend of two different albariza soil sub-types: tosca cerrada and barajuelas. Rafa says that the tosca cerrada albrariza lends the blend balance and fitness, while the barrajuela albariza lends a dry minerality and herbal salinity. This is a unique expression of Sanlúcar de Barrameda's terruño, not to mention a memorable wine made by a dedicated artisan.