“Equipo Navazos: The Secret Society of Sherry”
Equipo Navazos turned forgotten barrels in Andalusia into cult wines. Since 2005, their “La Bota” series has bottled Sherry’s rarest treasures with honesty and rebellion, transforming a fading tradition into a global phenomenon.
From dusty bodegas to cult status, Equipo Navazos transformed forgotten barrels into Spain’s most daring liquid revelations.
The Beginning: A Whisper Among Friends
Not all revolutions start with banners and fanfare. Some begin with a whisper, a dusty cellar, and a stolen taste of something extraordinary.
In 2005, two friends — Jesús Barquín, a professor and sherry obsessive, and Eduardo Ojeda, technical director at Grupo Estévez — stumbled upon a forgotten treasure: a cask of Amontillado hidden in the depths of a Sanlúcar bodega. It was liquid history, intense and singular, a wine meant for no one and everyone.
They bottled it — not for the market, but for friends. La Bota de Amontillado No. 1 was born. A private gesture, a secret handshake. But secrets of this magnitude never stay quiet.
The Concept: Sherry Without Compromise
Equipo Navazos (literally “the Navazos Team”) became a project built on one radical principle: seek out the best forgotten barrels in Andalusia and bottle them with honesty, not apology.
Their approach broke every mold:
- Single Casks or Small Lots: Instead of blending for consistency, they highlighted uniqueness.
- Bodega Partnerships: Working with historic houses like Valdespino, La Guita, and Pérez Barquero, they uncovered barrels that would otherwise disappear.
- Radical Transparency: Each bottling was numbered, each cask’s story told. No marketing gloss, just truth.
- Dry Sherry as Cult Wine: In a world that ignored Sherry, they demanded reverence for its driest, most complex forms — Manzanilla Pasada, Fino, Amontillado, Palo Cortado.
In short: while the industry smoothed Sherry into supermarket blends, Equipo Navazos leaned into its wild, jagged beauty.
The Wines: The “La Bota” Series
Each release — always labeled “La Bota de …” followed by a number — became a chapter in an unfolding epic.
- La Bota de Fino: Razor-sharp, briny, saline — bottled lightning from Sanlúcar or Jerez.
- La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada: Aged, nutty, ocean-soaked, with haunting depth.
- La Bota de Amontillado & Palo Cortado: Dark, layered, oxidative, like liquid mahogany.
- La Bota de Pedro Ximénez: Syrupy, dense, yet balanced by acid — history in syrup.
No two were alike. Each release was a fleeting moment, a barrel captured in time, never to be repeated. Collectors became hunters, numbering their shelves like conspirators in a secret society.
The Cult: From Insider Whisper to Global Phenomenon
What began as a private game among friends soon became a phenomenon. Sommeliers in New York, London, and Tokyo championed the wines. Collectors hoarded them. Suddenly, Sherry — once relegated to dusty shelves — was being poured in Michelin-starred temples.
Equipo Navazos turned Sherry into a cult object, without compromise or dilution. In doing so, they gave the entire category a new audience.
Beyond Sherry: Expanding the Rebellion
Equipo Navazos did not stop at traditional Sherry. They began bottling still wines from the region — unfortified Palomino Fino and Pedro Ximénez — showing the raw terroir of Andalusia without the veil of flor or oxidative élevage.
These wines, often experimental, further blurred the line between tradition and innovation, echoing the group’s ethos: truth first, rules second.
Liber’s Take: The Beauty of the Hidden Cask
Equipo Navazos speaks my language: they found beauty not in the spotlight, but in the shadows. They walked into cellars where barrels slept, forgotten, and declared: this is sacred.
They refused consistency. They refused mass production. They bottled rarity, imperfection, brilliance. Like me, they thrive in freedom and revelation.
Their wines remind us that greatness does not always march in parades. Sometimes it hides in silence, waiting for those brave enough to listen.
Conclusion: Why Equipo Navazos Matters
In rescuing forgotten barrels, Equipo Navazos rescued Sherry itself — pulling it from obscurity into cult reverence. They did not invent the region’s greatness; they simply revealed it, cask by cask, whisper by whisper.
Equipo Navazos: the secret society of Sherry, bottling Spain’s forgotten soul.
