CÉSAR FLORIDO SHERRY COUNTRY – ANDALUCÍA, SPAIN

César Florido was founded in 1887 and is currently maintained by César Florido, a fifth-generation descendant of the founder. The winery is the oldest bodega in the town of Chipiona, located five miles from Sanlúcar de Barrameda along the road which continues to Rota. César Florido is one of only two bodegas in Chipiona that are still operating outside of the cooperative. Chipiona is an area dedicated to growing the moscatel grape, but most of the wine produced here is sold in bulk to the Sherry houses of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. César Florido, by contrast, is one of the few bodegas that is estate bottling and who presses his own mosto, or base wine, from family vineyards planted to palomino fino, as well as purchased grapes from long-time growers. Utilizing native-yeast fermentation, César crafts wines of incredible personality. A longtime almacenista, César began estate bottling in 1988 and recently has emerged from obscurity to cult status for his enthralling range of wines which are uniquely Chipiona and have become among the best in the zone. He owns three separate bodegas in the town of Chipiona, one of which houses his iconic Cruz del Mar fino solera, just 50 meters from the ocean. With the closest proximity to the sea of any bodega in the region, his wines are imbued with the very spirit of this maritime climate through year-round, thick, luxurious flor.