Cota 45 Ube Miraflores 2020, 12 percent, $31
I’m fascinated by the wines of Ramiro Ibañez of Cota 45, who is exploring the terroirs of Jerez through a series of unfortified wines made of palomino and other indigenous grapes. Jerez is of course best known for sherry, but Mr. Ibañez, the Blanco brothers and others have suggested an alternate regional history of multiple grapes with a focus on terroirs. Miraflores is a great introduction to the Cota 45 wines, savory and pure, highly suggestive of the best sherries yet different. As I said, I’m fascinated. (José Pastor Selections/Llaurador Wines, Fairfax, Calif.)
Terroir Històric Priorat Blanc 2017, 13 percent, $35
Dominik Huber makes excellent Priorats and other Catalonian wines under the Terroir al Límit label. Terroir Históric, his second label, is dedicated to thirst-quenching, yet intriguing, wines that explore Mr. Huber’s conception of historic styles of the region. This bottle, a blend of garnacha blanca and macabeu that has been aged for six months in concrete, is tangy, herbal and surprisingly subtle. (European Cellars, Charlotte, N.C.)
Laura Lorenzo Daterra Viticultores Manzaneda Gavela da Vila 2019, 12 percent, $35
Laura Lorenzo explores old vineyards and traditions largely in Galicia in northwestern Spain. Here’s another wine made from palomino: Though the grape is most known in Jerez and southern Spain, Ms. Lorenzo found an old vineyard on sandy granite soil. She fermented the wine in big old chestnut barrels with a brief skin maceration, so this is a mild orange cuvée, slightly tannic, fresh and alive. It has lingering flavors of dried fruits and flowers and an intriguing texture. (José Pastor Selections/Llaurador Wines)
Nanclares y Prieto O Bocoi Vello de Silvia 2020, 12.5 percent, $37
This is a Rías Baixas albariño, although it’s not labeled that way. In addition to the wines they make from their own vines, the excellent producers Alberto Nanclares and Silvia Prieto supplement their production with grapes from other local farmers, as in this bottle. The grapes were foot-stomped, fermented with indigenous yeast and aged in traditional old chestnut barrels. The result is a subtle, textured wine with stony, floral flavors that linger long after you swallow. (José Pastor Selections/Llaurador Wines)
