# Sotovelo (2022)

- **Producer:** Dominio de las Ánimas
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Palomino
- **Region:** Andalucía, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €20
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, nectarine, lemon, bread, toast, biscuit, almond, hazelnut

## About this wine

Dominio de las Ánimas was established in 2020 by Thomas de Wangen and Lorna Cooper at the historic Castillo de las Ánimas in Pago Balbaína, near El Puerto de Santa María. In collaboration with acclaimed winemaker Raúl Moreno and Charles Rolls, the estate focuses on recovering site-specific, terroir-driven expressions in Jerez through unfortified still wines. Sotovelo represents their debut release, bridging historical biological aging under flor with modern, fresh winemaking.

## Interesting facts

- Sotovelo 2022 is the inaugural debut vintage of this unfortified flor-aged wine project.
- Aged in traditional chestnut barrels rather than oak to preserve delicate chalk salinity.
- Grown on pure Albariza chalk soil in Pago Balbaína, famous for maritime Atlantic freshness.

## Food pairing

The intense saline minerality, crisp acidity, and savory flor yeast profile pair exceptionally well with rich, fatty, and high-umami seafood and cured meats. The bright citrus and chalky texture balance rich fats and cut through salty umami dishes seamlessly.

## Wine making process

Hand-harvested from dry-farmed organic vines on white Albariza chalk soils (Tosca Cerrada). After a brief 10% skin maceration, the juice ferments spontaneously with wild yeasts—80% in stainless steel and 20% in traditional 700-liter chestnut barrels (bocoyes). The wine ages for 8 months under a biological veil of flor in chestnut wood, avoiding heavy oak tannins while acquiring yeast character naturally without alcohol fortification.