As a boy Ricardo de Freitas worked in the winery founded by his Grandfather, Mario Barbeito in 1946. In 1993 he eventually became winemaker, and introduced even more measures designed to ensure the name Barbeito is synonymous with the highest quality Madeira. Given the relentless media commentary on his radical methods, it is wasy to forget that Ricardo is most concerned with takinig Madeira back to its unique origins. Hence all the offerings on the left are naturally cask-aged and uncaramelised. They are Madeiras for purist and inquisitive imbibers.

When a couple of friends with intimate knowledge of the world of sherry realised that some very special casks were lying forgotten about in the cellars of Jerez, they took action. Starting with a cask of Amontillado, they bottled the wine for themselves, and quickly found a following of hardcore fans. That was 2005, and what began as a personal passion became an ongoing project, Equipo Navazos. As independent bottlers, they move among bodegas and seek out extraordinary, individual sherries and release them as part of a numbered series of bottlings.