Bottled in April, when flor (the floating veil of yeast that imbues Fino sherry with its characteristic apply and bready scent) is at its optimum, this really is excellent in my view and a snip at £7.95 for a wine of an estimated age of 8 years.

For those of you who haven’t tried it it is a mature Jerez Fino bordering on an Amontillado. In the past it would have been called a Fino-Amontillado but the consejo, who regulate labelling, have banned its use. We therefore named it ‘Fino Perdido‘, meaning ‘lost Fino.’

Many producers add charcoal to remove the deep rich colour, and over fine it with bentonite, which stabilises the wine but removes much of its richness. We have just chilled it in a tank for a week to let it clarify naturally and then filtered it. It may form a slight haze but we think this cosmetic imperfection is outweighed by the extra flavour in the bottle.

It has an intense, bready flor nose, with a rich, round palate with elements of almonds and hazelnuts. It’s a lovely aperitif, but suits summer food admirably too. Try it with smoked salmon, grilled fish, scallops, crab or red tuna stewed with onions. Salud!

Toby Morrhall
Jerez Buyer