De La Riva El Notario Macharnudo Jerez Vino de Pasto 2022

The 2022 De La Riva El Notario is a top-flight vino de pasto, perfectly at ease in that liminal third space between a white wine and a Fino sherry. From the El Notario parcela of Macharnudo which yields particularly concentrated fruit, the grapes undergo a short period of asoleo after harvest. Two years under flor reduces alcohol and glycerol in the wine resulting in 'un ajerezamiento muy marcado'. White jasmine and baked apple aromas give way to concentrated quince and lemon pith fruit, with a lean and direct palate profile etched by salinity and oystershell minerality. A masterclass in form and substance. 2025-2030. (Matthew Forster MW)

The regular unfortified white from Macharnudo is now vineyard designated, as there are two more wines from the Pago. The 2022 Macharnudo El Notario comes from a plot that is more or less at the same altitude as San Cayetano, but this is a flatter vineyard with lots of limestone, a source of very massive wines. It has a characterful nose and has had the advantage of one extra year in cask, and the nutty and spicy character is more noticeable, in the shape of esparto grass, mushrooms and chalk, a hint of licorice. This wine has always had a longer élevage, as it's a very powerful wine. This is full flor and full power, but it also has a lot of finesse and is persistent and long. 2,000 bottles produced.