Fino En Rama (Urium)

This Fino En Rama has its own character and is slightly different than the others

When the Ruiz family started Bodegas Urium, they only had the VORS range, which was later joined by a Clásico range and this Fino. In fact their bodega was built for biological ageing so it was clear from the beginning that they would eventually produce a Fino.

You can’t tell immediately, but the back label clearly says Fino En Rama, which means it has only undergone a very minimal filtering. And it’s easy to notice if you hold a bottle against the light:

This is En Rama alright!

The Fino En Rama is matured in a relatively small solera of 66 butts. Each edition consists of 10.000 bottles. They have older Finos in the bodega as well (not commercially available), up to 12 years of age and even one butt of around 30 years (still with flor).

solera-fino-bodegas-urium

Fino En Rama (15%, Urium, Series #3, 50cl)

Nose: combines the penetrating sharpness of iodine and salt with rounder notes of almonds and pastry dough. Lots of chamomile and Mediterranean herbs. Soft hints of hazelnuts. Fresh bread. Plenty of citrusy notes too.

Mouth: smooth and soft, with a low acidity and a striking lightness in the attack. A surprisingly understated start. At first you wouldn’t even notice any alcohol, but after a few seconds it gets much wider and more profound. Lots of almonds. Nice herbal bitterness in the aftertaste, with a savoury edge and hints of yeast. Not the driest, nor the most saline or intense Fino En Rama, but it’s nicely different.

Availability: not easy to find outside of Spain. In Belgium try Xpertvinum. Around € 10-13.

Summary: It is surprising how such an intense nose (due to the minimal filtering) is coupled to such a light, smooth body. A very characterful Fino En Rama that pairs well with food. Definitely worth trying.

4

Really good

Tags: 15%, En Rama, Fino, Jerez de la Frontera, Urium

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