Fernando de Castilla is a sherry firm directed by Jan Pettersen that figures as one of few to portray a revival of Andalucia’s traditional sherries and brandies dating back to the close of the 20th Century and the beginning of the 21st. At its cellars in the Santiago quarter it houses a wonderful Olorosa solera system that exemplifies authentically the Oloroso sherry of former times. It comprises twenty-odd casks lined up, among which figures the “bota punta” (end butt) of the collection, situated on the far left of the row.
It is common practice in traditional Andalucian cellars for the butt located at the end of a line (the “bota punta” or end butt) to acquire its own special character over a period of time, unlike other casks in the tiered solera system. Sometimes, especially with tiers of Finos and Manzanillos, due to the ease with which this particular cask can be reached, it is more frequently accessed for tastings and offering to visitors. Or it could simply be the case that where it is actually placed in the building, possibly with better access to oxygenation and with more obvious changes in temperature and humidity than others in the row, imbues the end butt with a special character.
In other instances it is down to the conscious decision of the foreman or person in charge. In fact, in certain wineries it is customary, after each extraction, for the end butt of the solera system not to be doused with wine originating from the first criadera or tier of casks, but from the rest of the butts in the same solera line.
However that may be, it is not just by pure chance in the case of the excellent old Oloroso solera at Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla that the wine contained in the end butt is the one which excels, due to a rare combination of sensuality and depth.
La Bota de Oloroso 28 "BOTA PUNTA" should be served at 16ºC, in a larger-size glass which would favour an elegant display of its aromas in all their complexity. We would certainly advise against the use of small or tasting glasses which might prevent appreciation of the endless aromatic nuances of this highly desirable sherry.
