Equipo Navazos La Bota de Amontillado Montilla Nº 117

Equipo Navazos La Bota de Amontillado Montilla Nº 117 is a rare, limited-release Amontillado from Montilla-Moriles that had never been bottled before this edition. Sourced from the historic cellars of Pérez-Barquero and carrying an average age of roughly 25–30 years, it marries profound maturity with striking freshness. Naturally concentrated to around 18–20% alcohol without fortification, this bottling captures the purest expression of traditional Montilla Amontillado in an exceptionally refined form.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, La Bota de Amontillado Montilla Nº 117 shows a deep amber to old gold hue, with coppery highlights that speak to its long aging. The nose is immediately complex and classical: roasted almonds and hazelnuts, toasted brioche, dried orange peel and chamomile, layered with saline notes, iodine, old wood polish and a whisper of curry spice and dried herbs. On the palate, it is sharp, intense and yet remarkably fluid, combining the tension of a Fino-Amontillado with the extra depth of a few more decades in cask. Expect a vibrant, dry attack with piercing acidity and tangy salinity, followed by flavors of toasted nuts, walnut skin, nougat, orange zest, and a subtle smokiness. A distinct chalky, mineral streak runs through the wine, echoing its limestone origins and giving the long, savory finish both grip and precision. Despite its age, the natural (unfortified) structure brings a sense of lift and energy. Bottled in the summer of 2022 and drawn from very old soleras, it is ready to drink now but will hold beautifully for many years if well stored; an opened bottle can be enjoyed over several weeks, gaining further nuance with air.

Production
Sourced from the chalk-rich Altos de Moriles subzone in Montilla-Moriles, this Amontillado is rooted in some of Andalusia’s most prized albariza-style soils, which naturally favor grapes of high ripeness and concentration, traditionally Pedro Ximénez. The base wine began life as a Fino raised under flor, never fortified, in line with Montilla’s historic practice of relying on natural grape sugars and evaporation to build alcohol and complexity. After its biological aging, the wine transitioned to oxidative aging, first in a prestigious bodega in Lucena and later finished and refined in the venerable Pérez-Barquero cellars. Over some 20–30 years, slow evaporation in seasoned casks concentrated both flavor and alcohol, reaching its final strength without added spirit. Equipo Navazos selected and bottled just 3,000 bottles from this singular set of butts in the summer of 2022, capturing a textbook yet particularly elegant Amontillado character.

Food & Serving
This is a superbly gastronomic wine that shines at the table. Classic pairings include finely sliced Jamón Ibérico, hard sheep’s cheeses, roasted almonds, and deeply flavored consommés or broths. Its saline, iodine-edged profile is also a beautiful match for oysters, other raw or simply prepared shellfish, salt cod, and delicately spiced tapas. Serve cool, ideally between 11°C and 13°C, to emphasize its finesse and aromatics. Decanting is not essential, but pouring it into a white wine glass and giving it a few minutes in the glass allows the layers of nut, citrus, and spice to unfurl; the wine will continue to evolve and open with air over the course of an evening.

Producer
Equipo Navazos is one of the most influential and respected names in the world of sherry and Andalusian fortified wines, even though it is not a traditional bodega but an independent bottler and curator. Founded in the mid-2000s by wine scholar Jesús Barquín and sherry master Eduardo Ojeda, Equipo Navazos began by uncovering and bottling exceptional, often forgotten butts from the region’s finest cellars, releasing them in their now-iconic "La Bota" series. Their work has been pivotal in highlighting the potential of old soleras, single casks, and unfortified styles from Jerez, Sanlúcar, and Montilla-Moriles, and they are widely credited with helping to spark a global renaissance of interest in fine sherry and related wines. The “Navazos” Amontillados in particular—of which Nº 117 is a direct descendant—are regarded as benchmarks for the style, prized by sommeliers and collectors for their balance of depth, tension, and drinkability.