Let’s start with the basics: Amontillado is a category of sherry comprising wines that start life as a Fino or Manzanilla, maturing under the influence of flor film-forming yeast which floats on the surface of the wine, and end in an oxidative manner without the protection of this yeast.
This process enriches the wine with the desired aromas of biological ageing (oxidised apple, fresh bread, cream, lees, biscuit) but also gives an intense oxidative character (pungency, walnut, hazelnut, toast, caramel, toffee, chocolate) as well as increasing colour.
Amontillado sherry has a long history. In classic literature it has served to trick people, as in Edgar Allan Poe’s 1846 short story The Cask of Amontillado, and is admired by many sommeliers and wine lovers worldwide.
However, the Spanish wine community seems recently to have been more attracted by Palo Cortado, probably due to the huge success of a documentary entitled The Mystery of Palo Cortado featuring an array of Spanish wine professionals. [Grupo Estévez chief winemaker Eduardo Ojeda described it as follows during my two-day trip with him last year: 'Palo Cortado is basically an Oloroso, even if it has had a short time under flor, ie it is basically an oxidative style. Amontillado is thinner because it started life as a biologically aged wine, with more flor influence and selected for that style.' – JH]
Although both sorts of sherry are highly regarded, and exceptionally good value (the estimated average retail price for a bottle of Amontillado is just €15), Amontillado represents 1.8% of all sherry produced while Palo Cortado is just 0.5% of the total.
However, quality-oriented sherry is finally waking from a long sleep. Oxidative sherries (Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado) increased their sales by 14.4% in 2015 and 6.7% in 2016.
The increase may be the result of the uprooting of excess vineyards through a programme promoted by the EU. This began in 2013 and has reduced the total sherry vineyard from 10,000 ha (24,710 acres) to 7,000 ha. The measure has stabilised and increased prices of Palomino grapes. Today, supply and demand are more in balance, and the amount of wine available to replenish the soleras has been reduced, leading to a slow but steady increase in price.
I am sure most wine lovers are aware that sherry has been one of the most undervalued wines on the planet, which is why I am particularly glad about the consequences of the vine pull scheme.
Amontillado can be made in two different ways. The most easily controlled consists in adding alcohol twice, first at the beginning of the process (to strengthen the new wine to 15% and encourage the development of flor), and then secondly after a few years to increase the alcohol level to 17%, making the flor disappear.
However, an increasing number of Amontillados are now produced by a single fortification. Seeking an explanation of this fashionable technique, I rang Celsar Saldaña, the widely admired general manager at the Jerez Consejo.
This second technique seems to be more qualitaty-oriented, with the alcohol added just once, to increase the strength of the wine to 15%. The flor will naturally disappear during the journey of the wine through the solera system. Yeasts consume the nutrients of the wine (mainly glycerine). After five years the level of nutrients is very low, providing such an unfavourable environment for the flor that it starts to disappear. In addition, as the flor fades, the water evaporates and the alcohol increases. The ecosystem becomes increasingly inhospitable for the yeasts which finally die, allowing oxidative ageing to start.
In recent times there has been an increase in Amontillados produced with single fortification, following on from wines such as the Manzanilla Pasada and Fino en rama that burst on to the market 20 or so years ago. Vinicola Hidalgo with its Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana and Barbadillo with its Sacas Estacionales were benchmark wines representing this trend.
Let’s imagine we take a young Palomino wine, fortify it up to 15% and leave it for four years under flor to obtain a Fino. Then imagine the same wine matured for 10 more years to become an Amontillado. It is quite revealing to note the thrilling change in composition. The Amontillado will naturally gain 3.5% alcohol and the acetaldehyde (the aroma of oxidised apples formed by the action of the flor) will be halved while the dry extract – related to the concentration of the wine – and the colour will be double in intensity. Furthermore, the glycerine will be increased almost ten times, giving a more viscous and sweet sensation. Finally the level of acetic acid (vinegar) increases fivefold, but remains below the sensory detection threshold.
This is why Amontillado is extremely complex in terms of flavours. A taster needs to be really focused when facing these wines. That's why I decided to divide the profile of each bottle into five distinct features and, in order to explain the stylistic silhouette of each wine, I rate the different features (1 to 5):
- Concentration/pungency: Related to the intensity, the saltiness, the residual extract of the wine and the sharpness of the taste.
- Biological character: Aromas related to ageing under the film-forming yeasts. Oxidised apple, fresh bread, cream, lees, biscuit.
- Oxidative character: Aromas related to ageing without flor. Nutty, hazelnut, toast, caramel, toffee, chocolate.
- Integration: The balance and harmony of all gustatory perceptions.
- Persistence: How long the aroma and flavour last after drinking.
With this information, and bearing in mind that sensory perception is never precisely translated to a number, I have developed the following infographic, with the aim of expressing how varied are the wines grouped under the name Amontillado.
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It needs to be remembered that almost all sherries are non-vintage. The solera is a dynamic system (involving replacing a portion with younger wines). The references to different ages in my descriptions below are purely averages.
You will see drinking windows from 20 to 30 years. However, they are just suggestions as the following wines can last much longer.
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Below I present the results of tasting blind (plus Bota 69 from Equipo Navazos that was not tasted blind) from a selection of the very best Amontillados that are produced today. I had the opportunity to taste them at Taberna der Guerrita in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a top traditional gastro tavern that really merits a visit. The selection was kindly prepared by Armando Guerra, part of this family-owned tavern. He is one of the most prestigious sherry personalities, today collaborating with Barbadillo. I am very grateful to him, not least for providing terrific Zalto glasses for my tasting.
Armando pointed out, ‘In my humble opinion, Amontillado is the maximum expression of classical sherry ageing. The sum of biological and oxidative maturation contributes to a personality that is impossible to imitate: saline, vertical, complex and elegant.’
This was one of my top-rated tastings since I started writing for Jancis Robinson.com. As many as 22 wines of the 32 I tasted were rated 17 points or above. The selection was accurately made by Armando himself, which may explain such successful results.
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Those seeking bargains should look for:
La Cigarrera, Amontillado
Valdespino, Tío Diego Amontillado
Marqués del Real Tesoro, Príncipe Amontillado
Díez-Mérito, Bertola Amontillado 12 Años
All of them are high-class bottles costing less than €15 retail in Spain.
I gave six particularly outstanding wines 18 or 18.5:
Barbadillo, Zerej Amontillado NV Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Hidalgo La Gitana, Napoleón 30 Year Old VORS Amontillado
González Byass, Del Duque 30 Year Old VORS Amontillado
Delgado Zuleta, Quo Vadis VORS Amontillado
Osborne, Solera AOS Amontillado
Equipo Nazavos, La Bota 69 de Amontillado
Beyond them two wines reached 19 points and represent liquid jewels:
Valdespino, Amontillado Coliseo
Osborne, El Cid Amontillado
These are hair-raising wines – in the very best sense.
The 32 wines are presented in the order I tasted them. The regular cuvées were tasted first, followed by the older cuvées, VOS (wines more than 20 years on average) and VORS (for wines over 30 years).
REGULAR CUVÉES
Average age of 12 years, four years of biological ageing and the rest in oxidative ageing. Less than 4 g/l of residual sugar.
Tasted blind. Copper and gold colour. Quite soft and velvet. On the delicate side. Superb alcohol integration. A great introduction to Amontillado: tasty but not pungent. (FC)
16.5%
This fortified wine is the result of a Manzanilla undergoing oxidation in a solera system.
Tasted blind. Copper colour with orange rim. Very rounded and caramelised. It is flavourful, displaying dry apricots, honey and nuts. It is a lovely and user-friendly Amontillado. (FC)
17.5%
Ageing and shipping bodega dating back to 1758. Average age of eight years. Production limited to 5,000 bottles per year.
Tasted blind. Oh dear! What a lovely wine for €11 retail in Spain. Copper colour with orange rim. Long and oxidative although not particularly concentrated. It shows caramel, bakery, yeast and smoky aromas. It is an ample Amontillado, soft and not particularly pungent. VGV (FC)
17%
Aged over 20 years in criadera and solera system.
Tasted blind. It is a very oxidative style, a bit mouldy, oaky and earthy. It has touch of volatile acidity. It is pungent but not particularly deep. An austere Amontillado. (FC)
18%
Aged in solera system for an average of 12 to 14 years.
Tasted blind. Slightly cloudy and copper in colour. This Amontillado tastes almost like Oloroso to me. It is very oxidative and toasty showing caramel, dry peach, nuts, roasted almonds and coffee. It is dense and powerful but not the most refined. (FC)
18.5%
Quite a young bodega established in 1992. Eight years under a layer of flor prior to eight more of oxidative ageing. Limited production of 2,000 bottles.
Tasted blind. It is a very yeasty style, slightly less vibrant than the average. It has earthy aromas and dominating oak flavours. It is a bit tired and simple, easy-drinking wine. (FC)
18.5%
Palomino Fino vines grown in Pago de Macharnudo. Tío Diego has ten criaderas and one solera with 70 barrels in each of their tiers. Evolution from biological to oxidative ageing occurs naturally. Due to oxidation and evaporation, alcohol content increases naturally from 16% up to 18%. Average age over 17 years. Less than 1.3 g/l residual sugar. Production limited to 17,800 bottles per year.
Tasted blind. Copper brownish colour. This is a tight and extremely concentrated Amontillado, great intensity, expression and saltiness. Extremely complex showing dry fruits, tobacco, cloves, clean oak and touch of yeast. It is a wine I particularly like and an amazing bargain for €12 retail in Spain. I am very astonished and enthusiastic about the finesse of this Tío Diego. VGV (FC)
18%
The bodega was founded at the end of the 18th century, prior to the occupation of Spain by the French troops, hence the name. Biological ageing until it becomes Manzanilla Pasada and subsequent oxidative ageing.
Tasted blind. A marvellous Amontillado showing bakery aromas, dried fruits, coffee, black tea and toasted bread. It is a textbook Amontillado, it has a bit of everything: depth, concentration, intensity and superb balance. (FC)
17.5%
Average age above 15 years, eight of them aged biologically with a subsequent nine years in oxidation stage. 2.5 g/l residual sugar. The production is limited to 5,344 litres per year.
Tasted blind. It is superbly refined and tight, salty, mouth-watering, concentrated and complex. It is a very energetic and vibrant Amontillado full of toasty notes and smoky character. Satisfying and very tasty. GV (FC)
18.5%
Amontillado aged eight years under flor plus six more of oxidation. Annual production of 6,000 bottles.
Tasted blind. Very oxidative in style showing caramel, candied orange peel, smoke and toasty notes. Quite a lot of everything: length, punch, concentration and alcohol integration. Well made and quite archetypical Amontillado. GV (FC)
18%
After a very long biological ageing the wine is transferred to the criaderas of Amontillado in Bodegas Barbadillo, from that moment it will go through into oxidative ageing process. Production limited to 2,000 bottles per year. Average age of 12 years.
Tasted blind. It is very oxidative in character showing caramel, oak, nuts and pungent alcoholic sensation. It tastes almost like an Oloroso to me with biological notes underneath the clear earthy and oxidative profile. (FC)
19.5%
Average age around 15 years. An ageing and shipping bodega that dates back to 1730.
Tasted blind. The wine is clearly influenced by the biological ageing – it shows yeast, unbaked bread and toast. It is concentrated and subtle with a superb delineation and balance. Very motivating, extremely refined and delicate. (FC)
19%
Amontillado produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Tasted blind. Quite different and anarchic, it is a bit cloudy. The nail-varnish sensation is elevated making the wine lose its finesse. It shows candied fruit and toast but has a very pungent and penetrating profile. It is an austere style of Amontillado. (FC)
19.5%
Very old Tío Pepe taking biological ageing to the limit. After 10 years, some barrels keep yeast traces that continue to interact with wine. A single oak butt, No 5, has been selected from the 150 casks which make up this old solera.
Tasted blind. Not officially Amontillado, however the Fino 3 Palmas is all biological flavours. The alcohol integration is sublime; it has an elegant oxidative touch, cider notes, yeasty character and great complexity and depth. Very exciting, extreme Fino. (FC)
16%
In 1781, the Sánchez Romate brothers laid the foundations of their society, one of the few bodegas that is still in the hands of a family from Jerez. Average age of 30 years.
Tasted blind. Really sweet scent showing caramel, toffee, honey and toast. Pungent and robust on the palate. On the dry and oxidative side and extremely tight. Lovely intensity. (FC)
19%
Barbadillo is located in the historic centre of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and the Zerej series is a collection of very rare and special cuvées in magnum. This Amontillado is the result of some criaderas of unfiltered Manzanilla. Average age 11 years. Production limited to 240 magnum bottles.
Tasted blind. Extremely delicate with a touch of integrated nail-varnish aromas, the style is primarily biological, and just a little oxidative, showing bread, biscuit and toast aromas. It is a real delicacy with a soft profile. Delicious. (FC)
19.5%
OLDER CUVÉES
Historic bodega founded in 1792. Palomino Fino grapes come from their own vineyards in the Balbaína and Miraflores pagos. Spontaneous fermentation is carried out with a later alcoholic strength increase to 15% abv. The wine was originally made for the private consumption of the family, nowadays there is a limited production available. Matured in American oak casks with an average age of 50 years.
Tasted blind. Very pungent and full of complex flavour such as earth and truffle, it has maximum concentration and body but it still has finesse. Full of flavours on the palate showing a long list of descriptors like sweet fruit, smoke, black tea and toast. Penetrating stuff. (FC)
18%
Palomino grapes intended for Del Duque start as Tío Pepe. After fermentation, it is fortified to 15.5% abv and then moves into Tío Pepe solera. A layer of flor yeast will protect the wine from oxygen for at least four years, going through the traditional dynamic system. After that the wine is transferred to the solera of young Amontillado, where it will remain another six years. During this stage, flor will die as a result of lack of nutrients and alcohol concentration. Subsequently, it will begin to oxidise. 10 years later it makes a final last trip to the Del Duque solera where it will rest for 20 years in oxidative maturation. Less than 5 g/l residual sugar. Moderate production of 6,000 bottles per year.
Tasted blind. It has very sweet scent, sugary, showing a touch of honey, chocolate, sultana and caramel. Concentrated but with a great integration of taste, superb balance and really mellow. It is voluminous and sweetish on the palate. Serious and meritorious wine, so harmonious, that will delight everybody. (FC)
21.5%
The history of this ageing and shipping bodega dates back to 1730. 100% Palomino Fino, a fortified wine aged over 30 years.
Tasted blind. Brownish colour. The wine is quite pungent and oxidative, the nail-varnish sensation is dominating with earth notes and toast at the background. Strong, spicy, racy but not the most refined of Amontillados. (FC)
19%
Unfiltered Amontillado. Winery-owned vineyards are located in Jerez Superior area. Aged biologically for six years in dynamic system, with a subsequent oxidative maturation for six years, the Amontillado criaderas and soleras date back to 1926.
Tasted blind. Brownish colour. The nose is extremely oxidative; it presents notes of honey, earth, smoke and old oak. It is an Oloroso-like Amontillado with a rancio touch at the back palate. Quite sharp tasting and not specially refined. (FC)
17.5%
A bodega launched 25 years ago in Sanlúcar de Barrameda after a takeover acquisition. Aged for an average of 30 years, 10 of them under flor yeast and the rest going through oxidative ageing. Production limited to 1,000 bottles, 4 g/l residual sugar.
Tasted blind. It has plenty of tertiary flavours such as earth, balsamic vinegar, pu-erh tea and orange skin. It is extremely salty and concentrated, tight, intense, piquant and well delineated. A deliciously pungent Amontillado. (FC)
19%
The wine is aged for the first stage under flor. The yeasts are lost gradually, over more than thirty years. In contact with air, the wine acquires 18% abv naturally. Production of 3,000 bottles per year. The ageing and production bodegas date back to 1876.
Tasted blind. Extremely oxidative and old Amontillado, it has an intense, deep and penetrating nose. It is in a sense overpowering but in another sense exceptionally charming. Maximum concentration and full of balsamic and salty notes. Delicious wine. (FC)
18%
Palomino Fino, aged in traditional soleras and criaderas. Average age of this wine is well over 20 years, five in biological ageing plus 15 in oxidative maturation. Limited production to 2,600 bottles. Bodega founded in 1781, one of the few that is still managed by a family from Jerez.
Tasted blind. Intense mahogany colour, very salty and deep, showing an intense biological character like toast, fermented raw bread, cream and hazelnut. It is stylish and has a penetrating depth. If you want to experience a full array of toasted kernels on your palate, go for it. (FC)
20%
Alex Russan is an American sherry connoisseur. In 2013, he began as a curator in Jerez, bottling and exporting to the USA under Alexander Jules trademark. Unfiltered and unclarified. It is a special bottling from individual butts within a solera, without mixing. The number of the barrel appears on the label. The Amontillado 3/10 is taken from the Amontillado solera at Juan Piñero winery.
Tasted blind. It is really salty but retains a nicely mellowed palate. Very rich on the aromatics showing seaweed, yeast, honey and toasty bread. Very good depth, style and concentration. (FC)
18.5%
Family-owned bodega located in the historic centre of Jerez. Fusion of two types of ageing, first the biological, with a spontaneous loss of flor yeast, a subsequent oxidative maturation over 30 years in American oak casks.
Tasted blind. The aromas are clearly built over time, seaweed, black tea, earth and burnt charcoal over layers of honey. Extremely concentrated but still keeping the refinement. Very racy and penetrating Amontillado. (FC)
21%
Palomino grapes from a single vineyard called Pago de Miraflores, in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. VORS with an average age over 60 years old. Less than 9 g/l residual sugar. Micro-production of 111 litres per year. The commercial activities at bodega Valdespino started in 1430, but the company would not be registered until 1875. Sacristia is the area in the bodega where the best butts of sherry are hidden and matured for a long time. Nowadays, Bodega Valdespino belongs to José Estévez Group, together with La Guita and Real Tesoro.
Tasted blind. This is one of the best wines I tasted in 2017! This wine is hair-rising liquid. The nose is opulent and shows layers and more layers of aromas such as chocolate, roasted coffee, walnut, cheese rind, seaweed, and burnt caramel. Concentration and finesse in equal measures in a perfect integration between flavours and textures. A treasure. (FC)
22%
100% Palomino Fino grapes from Pago La Balbaína, aged in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz. VOS, average age 25 years old. Very small production limited to 740 litres. The origin of this solera comes from the best Amontillados of Bodega La Palma, founded in 1903 to celebrate the Count of Osborne's son’s birthday. He prohibited its bottling until 1924, the year his son would be of a legal age to drink it, another short piece of history…
Tasted blind. Very intense and full of sweet-related aromas such as caramel, chocolate and honey. It also shows a toasty note like coffee, toasted grain and popcorn. It is really ample, voluminous, with lot of extract and sweetish notes which leads to an easy-to-drink style. Very thrilling as a wine with a long sensation. (FC)
22%
This is a selection of one cask from the six that are used in the Tres Palmas wine. Average age 52 years: four years biological ageing and 48 in oxidative maturation. Residual sugar 5.9 g/l. Production of 2,200 bottles. The star winemaker Antonio Flores points out: ‘This old Amontillado supposes the capacity of Tío Pepe to evolve in time’.
Tasted blind. It is herbal and shows lots of vigorous aromas such as earth, truffle and charred oak. The alcohol is really obvious and displays a touch of nail varnish. The palate is penetrating and very tight. It really lingers through the palate. Not particularly oxidative with the biological related aromas dominating. Very tight and earthy, a worthy and unconventional Amontillado. (FC)
21.5%
Ageing and shipping bodega founded in 1991. The average age of the wine is 100 years but doesn’t have a regulated indication of age by the bodega’s own choice.
Tasted blind. Very extreme in terms of concentration, it is pungent and tastes almost like an essence of time. Broad and intense nose showing coffee, chocolate, toast, petrol and truffle note. It is refined despite such an overwhelming palate. (FC)
21%
Bodega with more than 270 years of history. Very old VORS. Fortified wine that was born as Manzanilla. Well over 40 years of maturation in American oak casks, across the traditional dynamic system of soleras and criaderas.
Tasted blind. It is an extremely dry and pungent Amontillado. It shows earth, seaweed, organic aromas and a very intense saltiness. It is really penetrating and intense. The quintessence of concentration. A great bottle of Amontillado. (FC)
21%
100% Palomino Fino aged in El Puerto de Santa María. Very old sherry, at least 30 years old. The solera was founded in 1934 and has a very limited production of only 250 litres per year. Osborne is one of the oldest family businesses in the world. Their history dates back to the late eighteenth century, when a young English merchant, named Thomas Osborne Mann, came to Cadiz to market the wines of the region.
Tasted blind. This is a huge wine with never-ending flavours. It caresses the palate with great intensity. One of the deepest wines I have ever tasted. I am overwhelmed by it. Layers and more layers of flavours, sultana, black chocolate, iodine, earth, mushroom, dried fruit, and more… Great texture and depth. An impact of so much more than time-bottled liquid. (FC)
22%
A moderately young Amontillado of 18 years released by the prolific team Equipo Navazos. The selection comes from the historical bodega from Calle Misericordia in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and is released only in magnum. 1,100 units.
It is very mellow and pleasurable, not at all pungent. It is almost creamy with a completely integrated alcohol sensation. The mid palate is rounded and ample although it shows an austere and lovely dryness at the back palate. The biological flavours and the yeasty character dominate over the oxidation with a clear chocolate and walnut sensation. A soft and delicate version. (FC)
18%
