2017 Bodegas Cota 45 'Agostado' Spain

We've been tumbling head first down the pre-solera, unfortified rabbit hole in Andalucia. Cota 45's Agostado is one of the most impactful, dare-we-say noble bottlings we've come across in the category. This has less to do with oxidative qualities and severe tension (like the Miraflores, which we love) and more to do with texture and classic elegance. A stunning wine that will be long lived. 

""Agostado (formerly Encrucijado) is a blend of old, almost extinct varieties Perruno (in Trebujena, pago de Horadada), Uva Rey (in Arcos de la Frontera and Chiclana) and Palomino (in El Carrascal) planted on different types of Albariza soils at different altitudes around the Marco de Jerez. Grapes were hand-harvested late September, pressed whole-cluster into two old 500L Jerez botas for spontaneous fermentation without temperature control, and raised in bota for 26 months (under flor the last 4 months) before being bottled with a light filtration. This rare, single vintage, unfortified wine (during aging ABV increased from 13.6 to 14.95%) undergoes biological and oxidative aging, like a Palo Cortado from yesteryear."" - JPS