Soleras del Pacífico seeks to learn how this variety, made to its full potential through the techniques of the Iberian Peninsula, expresses itself in California.
Jake Neustadt
I have enjoyed being a devoted lover of Sherry for many years. One aspect of the Sherry region that has always fascinated me is its distinct terroir. A remarkable facet of this terroir is the natural phenomenon known as “flor,” a buoyant form of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. This delicate layer of flor not only safeguards the wine but also contributes to its unique aromatic and flavor profile.
Last year, I encountered an intriguing revelation that captured my attention. Soleras del Pacifico is a project that seeks to learn how ancient vine Palomino “made to its full potential through the techniques of the Iberian Peninsula, expresses itself in California.”
The debut offering of the Soleras del Pacifico “The Flor of Evangelho Palomino Fino“, an unfiltered, Fino-style Palomino made from the historic Evangelho Vineyard in Contra Costa County is my Wine of the Week.
About Soleras Del Pacifico
Soleras del Pacifico is a passion project of Jake Neustadt, who is the Viticulturalist for Bedrock Wine Company
I first appreciated it at an honorary tasting for the late A. Dinsmoor “Dinny” Webb, a longtime professor of Enology at UC Davis and sherry enthusiast. I delved deeper, started keeping Tio Pepe in the fridge, and ultimately was able to try many of the benchmark wines of the style due to its relative affordability for a thrifty college student.
Years later, I was practicing viticulture in California’s old vine vineyards–first with Ridge Vineyards and then with my current employer, Bedrock Wine Co. I was drawn to the interplanted Palomino vines not only for their inseperable association with Sherry, but also for their incredible vitality, drought tolerance, crimson foliage and richly golden clusters. Knowing my love for sherry, Bedrock offered me the chance to make wine from the Palomino vines interplanted within the Evangelho Vineyard in 2017. Now, many harvests later, I have a small solera of this wine that is ready to share explains Neustadt on his website
Evangelho Vineyard
Planted around 1890, Evangelho sits Contra Costa County on pure Delhi Sand about a mile south of the Sacramento River Delta directly where the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers merge with the cooling waters and breezes of the San Francisco Bay. Its gnarly ancient vines are head-trained, dry-farmed, and on their original root stock. It is owned by Bedrock Wine Company.
ln his role a Bedrock’s viticulturist, Neustadt and the viticulture team mapped the entire 33-acre vineyard by variety. The field blend is made up of predominately Zinfandel, Mataro (Mourvedre) and Carignan, but interspersed throughout the planting are just over 100 Palomino vines.
Flor of Evangelho Palomino Fino Batch #1
Fruit for the Soleras del Pacifico project is sourced from 55 of those ancient Palomino vines (and defying conventional logic that old vines produce less, Neustadt harvest a ton of fruit from the 55 Palomino vines, which are scattered throughout the vineyard.
Because the conditions (high humidity and heat) are naturally present, Neustadt innoculated the initial batch with a Jerez strain flor Sherry yeast. Going forward he will be able to use ambient yeast.
The wine is raised in a solera system which involves an array of barrels that are arranged in a certain hierarchical way, with the younger wines partially replacing the older wines that are taken out.
The system allows for the development of complex flavors and aromas in the final product. The mixing of different vintages and ages contributes to a more layered and intricate taste profile.
Tasting Note: The wine pours a pale lemon yellow color with green reflections. On the nose, it offers enticing aromas of bruised green apple, fresh dough, iodine, and salted Marcona almond with a hint of caramel. The palate is medium-bodied and well-balanced with vibrant, zesty acidity. It features flavors of green apple, just ripe pear, lemon, and a hint of dried herb, all accented with a very appealing wet stone minerality, and a very satisfying finish. 500ml bottle|14.5% abv|SRP – $50
The wine shows impressive typicity, and was pure joy to drink for this Sherry lover. I’m excited to see how these wines evolve as the solera ages. I’ll be buying more. Highly recommended!
Other articles you might enjoy:
- An Exploration of Sherry; In the Glass And At The Table
- Commemorating Setbacks and Success with Bodegas Tradición Palo Cortado VORS #WorldWineTravel
Sources and resources
Knowing your love of sherry, if you’re recommending this, we definitely need to try it!