Paranormal Vino de Pasto
Around 2018 a new description appeared in the sherry region: Vino de Pasto. Though not exactly new – it is a resurgence of a very traditional type of wine that has always been part of the winemaking in Jerez.
Vinos de Pasto are white table wines, sharing some winemaking traditions with classic sherry wines but the crucial difference is they are not fortified. They are close to the base wines for sherry production, the sobretablas that go into the top of a Fino solera. While very common until the late 19th century, they fell into oblivion after the phylloxera plague and the foundation of the Jerez D.O. in 1935.
Paranormal Vinos de Pasto is produced from Palomino Fino grapes grown in Bodegas Baron’s El Poedo 47ha vineyard on the border of Sanlucar and Rota – a Jerez Superior area on hills of albariza soils in front of the Guadelquiver river.
Noted for its double fermentation, winemaking begins with a first, vigourous, fermentation in new American oak barrels at high temperature taking advantage of the natural richness of the first press free run juice; followed by a second, slower, fermentation enhancing the wines distinctive characteristics and converting sugar to alcohol – resulting in a bone-dry wine of <0.01gr/l. residual sugar. It then ages for 8 months on selected fine lees.
Whilst it literally means ‘pasture wines’ (or colloquially, a wine to drink with food) there is now a tendency to use the name as a badge of honour: an intentional understatement for wines of high quality and high complexity.
Dark straw colour; very lifted and aromatic bouquet with typical Manzanilla/Fino sherry character. Hints of stewed apple on the nose, pear on the palate which is bone dry but with a lovely balance of citrus fruit. The mouth-watering finish has both savoury and saline notes.
Pairing: ideal for Mediterranean cuisine, seafood, liver pate, Iberian and semi-cured cheeses.
About the Producer
Bodegas Baron
Bodegas Barón can trace its origins back to 1631 and thus be considered the oldest of sherry bodegas.
In its present structure it was founded by Manuel Barón Fernández in 1895 who acquired some old soleras from Anselmo Paz, an almacenista in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Manuel Barón’s wife, though, had a much older family history in sherry.
Today, ten generations later, the company is owned by Jose Rodriguez Jiménez and his sons Juan Luis and Jose. It has been in their hands since 1984 and the young brothers are a dynamic force, who in 2014 oversaw the makeover of the entire range with new styles and importantly new labels. It is both one of the oldest and one of the most progressive quality producers – and new to the UK market.
It consists of two bodegas: Molinillos, the oldest in Sanlúcar, whose central naves date back to 1631 and where the 150 year old soleras of Anselmo Paz are guarded. The larger, more modern, El Hato is used for storage and holds 10,000 butts. They own three vineyards (around 140ha), all on albariza soil: Finca Atalaya (previously owned by Osborne), Finca Martín Miguel and Finca Poedo; of which 50ha are in Sanlúcar de Barrameda for the production of Manzanilla.
Barón has rebranded its production into three contemporary brands – Micaela, Xixarito and Soluqua – all with modern, eye-catching labels.
