Equipo Navazos, Navazos Colet P.F. Brut Nature, Vino de España, Spain, 2013

Producer Profile

Equipo Navazos was born out of a group of friends’ desire to unearth some of the many treasures lying forgotten in the bodegas of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Montilla… wines whose age and provenance place them among the best value in the world.

These unexpected yet fortunate findings have been made available to wine lovers around the world in limited quantities under the La Bota series (consecutively numbered editions, with the date of each ‘saca’, or withdrawal, on the label) as a mark of respect for the generations of expertise and care that have gone into making these exceptional wines. Today, however, Equipo Navazos’ efforts are increasingly focused on producing their own wines, such as Florpower, which truly express the character of Sanlúcar and its unique terroir. Beyond Andalusia, they have also collaborated with winemakers of the calibre of Dirk Niepoort and Sergi Colet to develop authentic, individual Spanish wines that never fail to impress.

Viticulture

Produced from old-vine Palomino Fino grown in the historic Miraflores La Baja vineyard in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, one of the most renowned vineyard zones of the Sherry Triangle. The vineyard's celebrated albariza soils, rich in limestone and chalk, provide excellent water retention and impart a distinctive mineral character to the wine. Its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean moderates temperatures and contributes freshness, salinity and balance to the fruit. The grapes were harvested in the challenging 2013 vintage at relatively low potential alcohol, creating an ideal base wine for traditional-method sparkling production.

Winemaking

This wine was born from a collaboration between Equipo Navazos and pioneering Penedès producer Sergi Colet, inspired by the similarities between the chalky, white-soiled vineyards of Champagne and the albariza vineyards of Jerez. Following fermentation, the base wine from the 2013 harvest (10.8% abv) was transported to Colet's cellars in Catalonia, where it underwent a second fermentation in bottle according to the traditional method. The wine was aged on its lees for approximately 12 years before disgorgement, developing remarkable complexity whilst retaining freshness and vitality. Bottled as a true Brut Nature, no dosage was added; wine from the same batch was used to top up bottles after disgorgement. Produced in extremely limited quantities, with just over 1,100 bottles released.

Tasting Note

A distinctive and complex sparkling wine combining the maritime freshness of Sanlúcar de Barrameda with the depth and savoury character of long-aged Sherry. Fine, persistent mousse carries aromas of green apple, lemon zest, chalk, crushed seashells and freshly baked bread, alongside subtle notes of almond, chamomile and saline flor influence. The palate is taut and mineral, with vibrant acidity balanced by impressive texture and autolytic complexity gained through extended bottle ageing. Long, focused and bone dry, with a pronounced saline finish. This style sits somewhere between a fine grower Champagne and an aged Manzanilla, offering remarkable minerality, salinity and autolytic complexity and has excellent aging potential.

Food matching

Serve with oysters, shellfish and seafood dishes, where the wine's saline freshness, fine mousse and savoury complexity can shine.