Fino Gran Barquero (Pérez Barquero)

Fino Gran Barquero is made from Pedro Ximénez grapes

We’re making a small trip to the nearby D.O. Montilla-Moriles today, where they produce wines that are really similar to the ones in the D.O. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry.

Although it has similar production methods, this Fino Gran Barquero is different from a Fino produced in Jerez for two reasons:

It is made from Pedro Ximénez grapes (whereas in Jerez they use Palomino), which is generally regarded as a slightly coarser grape for Fino.
However, P.X. grapes also contain more sugars, which can be transformed into alcohol during the fermentation process. More sugar means a higher maximum alcohol level. In fact, this wine has naturally obtained 15% without additional fortification as they do in the sherry region.

Bodegas Pérez Barquero started in 1905 and has its vineyards in the Sierra de Montilla, on albariza soils. They were using tinajas, huge concrete vessels for the fermentation of their base wines, but nowadays these have been replaced with temperature-controlled inox deposits. The maturation is done under a layer of flor in the system of soleras and criaderas, like in Jerez.

This Fino of around 8-10 years of age is part of the Gran Barquero series which includes all major types of sherry (Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez).

Fino Gran Barquero (15%, Perez Barquero)

Nose: quite aromatic, with lots of almond notes and balanced hints of flor. Some sour dough and cashew nuts. Soft herbs. Underneath is also a layer of fruity notes (grapes, peach, melon) which is a bit louder than what you’d expect in Jerez, especially at this age. A very light hint of wood as well.

Mouth: good, with nice hints of flor and brine. Some refined farmy notes, but also quite a pungent zesty side (grapefruit zest, bitter almonds) and lots of herbal / grassy notes. The fruitiness is still there, with some firm acidity, which makes it seem a little less dry than a Fino de Jerez. Some oak which tends to dry your mouth a little. Long finish, still with a faint bitter side.

Availability: Around € 10 in Spain. Here in Belgium I paid € 14.

Summary: Fino Gran Barquero is quite a good Fino, but its character is slightly different from what you'd expect in Jerez. Quite expensive for what it is in my opinion - for this price you can get a top-notch Fino from Jerez.

2.5

Fine

Tags: 15%, Fino, gran barquero, Montilla-Moriles, Pedro Ximénez, Pérez Barquero

About the Author

Ruben is a Certified Sherry Educator who fell in love with sherry some 25 years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at www.whiskynotes.be