March 2025 Mariner's Society

Equipo Navazos Manzanilla La Bota 113 Jerez de la Frontera  Regular Price: $52.00 Club Price: $ 42.20 Buy Now

This is not your parents sherry, this is La Bota #113 Manzanilla from Equipo Navazos, and it's actually the tenth release in a series of “Navazos”-designated manzanillas. Now, while the team behind this doesn’t follow the typical “product line” approach like most wineries, there’s something that connects all of these releases: the desire to bring out the most complex expression of Palomino Fino from Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

This particular sherry has been crafted with a focus on long-aged, minimal intervention. It’s been nurtured and closely monitored by Eduardo Ojeda, one of the co-founders of Navazos, since 2007. The wine is selected from a range of casks, which have been carefully watched over for years, and the average age of the wine is about seven years. They’ve kept the filtration to an absolute minimum, which means it’s got a richer, deeper golden color compared to other manzanillas you might have seen, and a palate that’s salty, vibrant, and just intense. It’s not your typical easy-drinking aperitif manzanilla—it’s a wine with some real depth of focus. It’s got 15% alcohol and was bottled in June 2022, with only 5,000 bottles produced, so it's definitely something special. Let me know what you think of it!  —JL

Equipo Navazos Fino La Bota 115 Jerez de la Frontera Regular Price: $52.00 Club Price: $ 42.20 Buy Now

This is La Bota 115. A Fino, it's the tenth release from a solera in Jerez de la Frontera that’s also been monitored by founder Eduardo Ojeda. What makes this one stand out is the inclusion of a small portion of younger criaderas—criaderas are tiers of barrels in the solera-aging system, with the word "criadera" meaning "nurseries." These younger wines from the Macharnudo Alto vineyard bring a lively freshness and balance to the blend, adding a touch of elegance that you don’t always find in the older releases.

With an average wine age of eight years, this Fino was bottled with an ultra-gentle filtration to preserve its rich texture—silky yet intense, with a smooth, buttery roundness. The golden color really highlights its unique, crafted character and the careful approach behind its production.

When you compare this Fino to the manzanilla, you’ll notice some key differences. Both are made from Palomino Fino, but the manzanilla from Sanlúcar de Barrameda tends to have that distinct saline quality and a lighter, more delicate profile. This Fino, coming from Jerez, has a fuller body with more depth and richness. Thanks to the inclusion of those younger casks, it’s also a bit more vibrant and rounded compared to a typical Fino, giving it a complexity that sets it apart and puts it in the extraordinary category!

Equipo Navazos Palazzi Vermut Rojo Regular Price: $49.00 Club Price: $ 41.65 Buy Now

Barcelona kicked off Spain’s vermouth comeback, and Catalonia still leads the way when it comes to great vermouth. But lately, more and more vermouth brands are popping up in Jerez. This one is from the premium bottler of sherry wines from Jerez, Spain Equipo Navazos (same producers of your two sherries).

Equipo Navasos Palazzi vermouth starts with a base of Oloroso Sherry that’s been aged for five years in oak barrels. They use a blend of botanicals—things like wormwood, savory, coriander, licorice, elderflower, juniper, bitter orange peel, and grapefruit peel—all of which grow in Andalusia. The Sherry base is then mixed with concentrated grape must for sweetness and fortified to 17.5% with neutral grape spirit. Each botanical extract is macerated separately and then carefully blended to get the perfect flavor. They bottled it in 2022, and only 6,000 bottles were made. (I’ve pretty much cleaned out our importer until they bring in more, just so you know.)

Hora de Vermut (Vermouth hour)
Vermouth hour in Barcelona is pretty much a sacred part of the day, but the vermouth isn't really something you sip on for ages, pondering the flavors. It’s really meant to be enjoyed with food, on the rocks, in the middle of a chill day. It’s one of the best ways to spend an afternoon. It used to be around noon or 1 pm—basically, a way to grab a vermouth and a snack to hold you over until lunch. But now, vermouth hour can really be anytime before a meal — it usually ends up meaning some good day-drinking, though. Picture this: a vermouth over ice, maybe with a slice of citrus and an olive, plus some potato chips, tinned fish, and a gilda—those little skewers with olive, pepper, and anchovy —and lucky for you, we’ve got all of that right here in the shop!

I’m a big fan of Equipo Navazos sherries and their vermouth has quickly become my go-to as well. I love sharing it with folks who are into vermouth and sherries — always a hit. My favorite way to enjoy it? My take on fish n’ chips: a big stack of Torres potato chips with a can of mejillones (mussels) poured right on top. Perfect combo. —JL