Vega Sicilia Valbuena 2004

It's always amused me that Spain's greatest winery (that doesn't make sherry) has 'Sicilia' in the name. I don't know why. Part of me hopes there's a ridiculously great boutique winery on Sicily called 'Ca' de España' or something like that.

The last vintage I had of this was, I think, the '98, and it was tasting awesome. This I got to sneak a sip of before the bottle was whisked away to a tasting to which I was sadly NFI.

Lovely gradation of colour. Ruby rim, dark core.

Meaty, with dusty red to dark fruit on the nose. Intense.

Palate is young but serious. Pure, juicy redcurrants and blackberries, wrapped in dust and leather in some sort of barren dessert. Like drinking a western. There's a taut, sinewy texture that everything rides on. It grabs you and tugs on the tongue. Ace. Classic.

****(*)

Tasted 22 November 2012 at Swig.

 

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Clio Jumilla 2008

This is from Jumilla, which I used to know as one of those great value regions of Spain that punched well above its weight. Well, this bottle is one of those super-premium depleted-uranium-density monstrosities that weighs roughly the same as a magnum of normal wine. It's a lot of weight to punch above. 

Ruby edges with a purple core.

Violets on the nose, followed by cassis and cocoa. Quite powerful. 

Ripe, rich and forward, viscous and mouthfilling. Bit of a bruiser but serious stuff regardless. Not my style, but impeccably made. Silky tannins. Great length. This is one of those wines that's polished almost into anonymity. It's delicious and would be great with a perfectly grilled chunk of fillet, but it's not going to tell you very much. 

***(*)

Tasted at Swig, 22 November 2012.

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Williams & Humbert Collection 12 yo Amontillado

I've no idea why Williams & Humbert decided to put a specific year stamp on this Amontillado. I thought that age statements on sherry were restricted to the VOS and VORS classifications. The youth and freshness of the wine seems to undermine whatever qualitative determination the statement has, so I can only assume it's a marketing decision. I don't think it's a good one, either. Sherry drinkers know the solera system and its age-defiance. Slapping a year on it - one I assume is either the mean or minimum age of the wines within the solera - doesn't do anyone trying to wrap their head around sherry any favours. Especially, in this case, as the wine is fairly atypical for an Amontillado.

Unless that's the point; to show that your average Amontillado is actually much older than you might think, and that at only 12 years, it's just barely in its post-Fino state. But that's not explained anywhere - you just get told it's 12 without any context.  

Maybe I just don't get it. Maybe I'm over-thinking the labelling. I don't usually care about labels, unless they're awful. In any case, this banter is distracting from what is, actually, an incredibly tasty sherry. Maybe they should have called it that.

Very pale. A light, golden brass, looks perhaps a little low on the filtered side of things.

Brine, salted nuts and chestnut mushrooms on the nose. Lively and fresh.

I said on Twitter that this was far more Fino-like than Amontillado-y. The front of the palate is lemon rind riding chalk dust, with a fresh saltiness. It's a bracing start that doesn't pick up that expected nuttiness until midway through, and even then, the zing and citrus pervade throughout. Blind, I might have guessed a Pasada. I wonder if the flor maybe wasn't quite dead yet? Regardless, this is a truly fantastic sherry. Ignore the label, as it claims to be medium dry. Nonsense. Bone dry, and brilliantly so.

*****

Tasted at Shorehead, 27 June 2012 

Lustau Almacenista Oloroso Pata de Gallina (Matured by Juan Garcia Jarana)

This comes from a 38-barrel solera somewhere in Jerez de la Frontera. I think it's an absolutely awesome wine. I've been drinking it quite a bit recently. 

Light for an Oloroso. Nice brightness and brilliance. 

Nose of salted caramel with a bit of cocoa. But not heavy - quite elegant nose.

This may be one of the most elegant Oloroso's I've ever tasted. Blind, I may call it for a Palo Cortado. Like the nose, you have that salted caramel, cocoa and a pervasive nuttiness, but it's so gentle on the tongue. It's somewhat contradictory: rich but light, powerful but elegant. It lingers for some time. I feel better for having a glass.

*****

Tasted many times, but most recently at Shorehead, 25 June 2012