Barbadillo Oloroso San Rafael: A Sip of History
Fortified 19.5% ABV ABV Barbadillo
22 February 2026
Best sherry I've ever had
The guy at my local wine shop recommended this when I said I wanted to try proper sherry beyond the usual cream stuff. Completely different league. Loads of walnut and dark fruit flavour, and a finish that genuinely lasts for ages. At £16.75 this is a steal.
21 January 2026
Really interesting but not for everyone
Picked this up after reading about oloroso styles and wanting to branch out. It's properly intense — dried fruit, spice, a kind of savoury salinity at the end. My partner thought it was too much but I loved it. Definitely a solo-glass-by-the-fire kind of wine.
10 January 2026
Birthday treat that delivered
My daughter got me this for my birthday and it's gorgeous. Love the orange peel and baking spice on the nose, and that roasted almond finish goes on forever. Pedro Ximenez grape apparently — learning something new! Brilliant value too.
1 January 2026
Good but a bit heavy for me
Decent sherry and I can tell it's well made. The fig and toffee flavours are nice but I found it a bit overwhelming after a while. Maybe I'm just more of a lighter wine person. Would probably work better with food than on its own.
27 November 2025
Saw it on a menu, tracked it down
Had a glass of this at a tapas place in Brighton and spent the next week trying to find a bottle. That sea-salt thing on the finish is so distinctive. Poured it for mates at a dinner party and everyone kept asking what it was. Under £17 as well which is mad for something this good.
4 November 2025
Great with cheese
Had this with a big cheese board at Christmas and it was perfect. Really rich and toffee-ish but not actually that sweet, which surprised me. At 19.5% it's a sipper though, went through the bottle slower than I thought I would.
3 November 2025
This stuff is incredible
Bought this on a whim from Majestic and honestly blown away. The dried fig and caramel thing going on is gorgeous, and it's way more complex than I expected for under £17. That salty finish is wild — apparently it's a Sanlúcar thing? Going back for another bottle.