Manzanilla Charito (Emilio Hidalgo)

A quality Manzanilla which doesn’t make an effort to stand out

Emilio Hidalgo is located in Jerez de la Frontera, but like most of the (old-style) producers they are also offering a Manzanilla. Most of the time bodegas buy these wines from almacenistas or partner bodegas in Sanlúcar. The idea is to offer consumers the entire spectrum of wines from the sherry region, with their name on it. On the other hand the wine isn’t mentioned on the bodega website.

Some sources claim Manzanilla Charito is around 5 years of age, which would make sense. Other than that, very little information is available on the interwebs. A common problem, I’m afraid. I’m often surprised that some bodegas (and the retailers who are representing them) aren’t making an effort to tell the story behind their wine. Also on the back label there is a very dull message about punzante characteristics and velo de flor. Boring.

Manzanilla Charito (15%, Emilio Hidalgo)

Nose: it’s got this lovely farmy note that I love so much. Like walking into a horse stable, with hay and wet chalky walls. Mediterranean scrubs. Some lemony freshness too, with almonds, light yeasty dough and hints of old barrels. Dried chamomile and a hint of olives as well. Good intensity, I had a fresh bottle so this opens up nicely.

Mouth: quite mature again, with that same hay, chalk and yeasty note. Decidedly dry, with a mild acidity. Then more Mediterranean herbs, getting slightly sharper with resinous touches and hints of pine. Some lemon zest, as well as some vegetal hints and an earthy touch. Olive brine and walnuts. More umami notes and a light bitterness in the finish.

Availability: rather good, especially in Germany. Check Vinos.de for instance. Around € 12-15 depending on the market.

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Summary: A very characterful Manzanilla, a bit older than what you're getting from most bodegas. Plenty of depth, ticking all of the expected boxes. Too bad there's hardly any marketing effort to underline its quality.

4

Really good

Tags: 15%, emilio hidalgo, Hidalgo, Manzanilla

About the Author

Ruben is a Certified Sherry Educator who fell in love with sherry some 25 years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at www.whiskynotes.be