Manzanilla ‘La Cigarrera’ Palomino Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalucía

Bodegas La Cigarrera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalucía

Bodegas La Cigarrera is a small, family-owned bodega in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, founded in 1758. The current bodega was purchased in 1891 by the great grandfather of the Hidalgo Garcia de Velasco brothers who run the firm today. The name of the bodega owes its origins to the women who used to sell cigarettes on the streets, on behalf of the big cigarette factories in Cadiz and Sevilla. Due to historical regulations of the Consejo Regulador, the company originally operated as an “almacenista”, a stock-keeper who sells their wines to bigger shipping bodegas (e.g. Lustau). In 1998, after the regulations had changed, they started to bottle their own wines for the first time. The company still uses the original bodegas in the Plaza Madre de Dios in the Barrio Bajo (lower part) of Sanlúcar, which hold a total of around 500 casks (including some of the oldest in town). The “cathedral” cellars of La Cigarrera consist of three naves (Bodega de Colóm, Bodega de Cabral and Bodega de Samilla) that surround a beautiful central Andalusian patio. The family used to own vineyards as well, but nowadays all grapes are purchased from locally managed vineyard farmers.

Manzanilla ‘La Cigarrera’ - 100% Palamino Fino. A Manzanilla Fina, averaging four to five years in age, having been matured in a solera of eight scales. The specific climatic conditions of this small coastal town are responsible for a higher humidity and cooler, more constant temperatures than those found in inland bodegas, which contributes to a higher yield of flor. The thicker layer of flor protects the wine even more from air contact, resulting in a slightly lighter variety of Fino, containing virtually no glycerol and combining dry, saline notes with a fresh, zesty liveliness. Manzanilla typically displays more coastal aromas than a Fino, like seaspray, salt or even iodine.

100% Palomino

75cl