This is an unfortified Palomino Fino crafted by the folks behind the famous sherry aficionados, Equipo Navazos, and was their second vintage making this dry white wine from a plot called Pago Miraflores. Quite a rare breed that is quite challenging to find now so it is a wine that I will only share with the more inquisitive and open-minded palates who seek the more savoury, umami and a bit of je ne sais quoi elements in a wine.
The last time I had the time to sit down and contemplate over this cuvée with some proper written tasting notes was almost 2 years ago, and I was pretty stoked to find that the wine hasn't changed very much (chemically speaking) as we cracked another open yesterday with some delicious hotpot at Long Qing (18 Hong Kong Street S059661).
Bright deep golden-amber with some really toasty, light char and smokey elements in the glass that gave way to ripe Meyer lemons, light honey and oxidative tones (think bruised apples, roasted nuts and chalky aromas). Quite saline, yeasty but also deliciously citrusy on the palate with just a mere touch of cream that lingered in one's retronasal passageway. My dinner companion was awestruck that the wine went so gorgeously well with Long Qing's spicy prawn broth and I couldn't be more pleased.
Two really excellent restaurants in SG, who also happened to be adorned with stars, may still have some loose bottles of the Florpower in their cellars. If you're lucky enough to be offered a bottle by their Head Sommelier, please nod your head and say YES YES YES!
Also, here's what RP had to say about this wine many moons ago, if it tickles your fancy:
Another ground-breaking, almost experimental - or should I say accidental as this is how this Florpower line started - wine is the 2012 La Bota de Florpower 57 MMXII that was selected from one of the best vintages in recent history in the Sherry district. made with Palomino grapes grown in Sanlúcar de Barrameda from the Miraflores vineyard, it is a wine aged for 8 months in 15 Manzanilla butts with a strong veil of yeast flor, and then transferred to stainless steel vat where it continued aging under much weaker flor for 15 months until bottled in October 2014. This is basically a young, unfortified Manzanilla with a nose mixing notes of yeasts, nuts, with some reminiscences of a Champagne base wine, with the strong chalk component, hints of cider and a light to medium-bodied palate offering sweet fruit, and good freshness. This is still very young, and I might be underestimating it. 5000 bottles." 92 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
