Hidalgo, Manzanilla Pasada 'Pastrana Vineyard'

Pastrana is a single vineyard for the production of this unique dry sherry, and is situated on the crest of a hill near the sea where it is cooled by sea breezes. These grapes have great intensity of flavour. The wines are aged for longer in American oak casks than the regular La Gitana. Manzanilla La Pastrana is deeper coloured as a result, and is savoury, refreshing and very, very complex. Clean, delicate and faintly yeasty aromas lead to a dry, light and crisp palate. Serve slightly chilled as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to light meals, especially seafood and fried or salty dishes. The ultimate partner for tapas such as calamari, anchovies, olives, and salt cod.

"It is savoury, desperately refreshing and very complex, and the food-matching possibilities for this elixir are endless. I drank it with olives, nuts, baby squid, cuttlefish, the best fresh prawns I have ever tasted, jamon, butterfly clams, tiny local battered fish, stunning shallow fried anchovies, Manchego cheese and more. There are very few wines anywhere that can manage this feat, let alone do it with such style and affordability. Perhaps Pastrana is the new best value wine in the world, what do you think?" Matthew Jukes, August 2007.