Sobremar 2024 White

Joaquín Gómez Beser is a producer to watch in the Sherry Triangle. A seasoned winemaker, he works both with still wines at Bodegas Miguel Domecq and with traditional Sherry at the Trebujena cooperative. In 2019, he launched his own family project under the name Meridiano Perdido (lost meridian).

The family owns 28 hectares of vineyards across the pagos of Cerro Pelado and Añina. Annual production stands at 30,000 bottles, while a portion of the fruit is still sold to the cooperative and to fellow members of the Territorio Albariza group, of which Meridiano Perdido forms part.

Except for Palma Cortada, a fino aged statically for seven years in 1,000-litre casks, Meridiano Perdido focuses on unfortified whites or vinos de pasto that seek to reflect the region's diverse soils and landscapes.

With its elegant and easily recognisable label, Meridiano Perdido is the estate’s flagship wine. This unfortified white was initially made from grapes grown in the La Mendoza vineyard in Pago Cerro Pelado, and was aged in casks under a veil of yeast. A second wine was later added to the range, sourced from La Trinidad vineyard in Pago Añina, where the winery is located. Here, the emphasis is on vine exposure: La Mendoza faces north-east and is influenced by the Levante easterly winds, while La Trinidad faces south-west, where westerly winds (Poniente) prevail.

In contrast to this terroir-driven approach, Sobremar delivers a more straightforward message: it simply wants to showcase the expression of Palomino grown on the region's characteristic chalky albariza soils. There is no oak influence; the wine is briefly aged in stainless steel tanks under a layer of yeast, whose effect is minimised by the size of the vessels. 

The result is a sapid, clean wine with good depth of flavour and a chalky edge that evokes the region's white soils, offering a level of consistency well beyond what one might expect at around €10, and represents excellent value.  

Once again, Gómez Beser has chosen an attractive label bearing the motto: “Where yesterday there was sea, today there is wine”.

At a time when an appellation for unfortified white wines is in the works, Sobremar may offer a useful gauge of consumer receptiveness to Sherry-derived flavours. For many drinkers, resistance remains, not only to fortified styles, but also to unfortified whites aged under flor.

12% abv.
12,000 bottles
€10 
Score: 92