Vineyards and winemaking
This Manzanilla is made from 100% Palomino grown on the chalk-rich albariza soils of the Jerez region. An early September harvest and gentle first pressing create a light base wine suited to biological ageing.
The wine is fortified to 15% and matured beneath a protective veil of flor in American-oak casks at SanlĂșcar de Barrameda. Movement through the traditional criaderas and solera system produces an average age of approximately three years, maintaining consistency and the freshness encouraged by SanlĂșcar's humid coastal air.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Very pale straw yellow, bright and clear.
Nose
Green apple, lemon peel and chamomile are joined by fresh bread dough, salted almond and a distinct sea-breeze note.
Palate
Bone-dry and brisk, with citrus and crisp apple leading into savoury flor, almond and olive-brine flavours. The finish is clean, tangy and persistently saline.
Food pairing
Serve well chilled with salted almonds, anchovies on toast, fish and chips, smoked salmon, or prawns with garlic. The half-bottle format is ideal for two to four aperitif servings and should be refrigerated after opening and enjoyed promptly.
Background story
Rey Fernando de Castilla is a specialist bodega in Jerez known for precise, traditionally matured sherries. Its Classic range offers younger, fresher expressions of the principal styles, complementing the longer-aged Antique bottlings.
Although the bodega is based in Jerez, Manzanilla must mature in SanlĂșcar de Barrameda, where the maritime conditions sustain a particularly active flor layer. That biological ageing, rather than any added flavouring, gives the wine its distinctive combination of delicacy, yeast-derived savouriness and coastal salinity.
