Ramiro Ibáñez, Bodegas Cota 45, "UBE", Miraflores, 2024

A quiet transformation is taking place in Jerez, championed by the innovative young winemaker Ramiro Ibáñez. While he consults for various local estates, his most compelling work happens at his own venture, Cota 45. Ibáñez’s mission is to revive historical winemaking techniques by stepping away from fortification and reducing barrel time. Instead, he allows the terroir to take centre stage, using aging merely as a tool to frame the natural flavours of the vineyard rather than mask them.

A brilliant illustration of this vision is the UBE Miraflores. Hailing from one of Sanlúcar's most renowned vineyards, this unfortified wine is carefully sourced from five distinct plots across the Miraflores Alta and Miraflores Baja pagos. The old-growth Palomino vines, aged between 80 and 90 years, sit 50 to 60 meters above sea level with a prime western exposure. By blending these specific parcels, Ibáñez captures a pure, unadulterated snapshot of three unique albariza soil profiles: Lentejuelas, Lustrillo, and Tosca.