Valdespino Quina Aperitivo Jerezano NO20230809 one of the great Champagne

one of the great Champagne years

and the 2023 has the stuffing to absorb it gracefully over the long haul

gaining nuance the whole way

tiny-production cuvee from the Loire's most legendary Sauvignon estate

Valdespino Quina Aperitivo Jerezano NO20230809 one of the great ChampagneBefore quinine ended up in tonic water, it went into wine. Quina is that older tradition: a Jerez wine base, fortified and steeped with cinchona bark and a cast of botanicals until it turns bittersweet and pleasantly medicinal. Valdespino's version comes from one of the oldest houses in Jerez and it tastes like it, with real sherry character underneath the bitterness, all dried fruit and nutty depth, and a quinine edge that snaps the whole thing back