Gonzalez Byass Apostles Palo Cortado

I think this is the first Palo Cortado I have done a full post on, which is strange as I love the style. So what is Palo Cortado? Well it’s not a fino and it’s not an oloroso, it’s a wine that goes a bit weird in initial stages of aging and doesn’t show the traits of either fino or oloroso. It’s a rare thing when it happens naturally, however there are now bodegas that make an artificial style. Don’t ask me how that works, I have no idea.

A nose of Christmas cake, vanilla and wood, with some medicinal herbs. Initially there is a burst of sweetness, but this quickly moves on a very savoury, dry palate. Roasted almonds and a kind of pop corn flavour with orange peel and a light mocha note. Intriguing wine, there is quite a lot going on here but that long warm nutty finish almost makes you not worry about it. 91 Pts.

Gonzalez Byass ‘Del Duque’ Amontillado

The heating at Casa Tinto y Blanco is not really up to scratch at the moment, so a glass or two of good sherry is in order to keep yourself warm in the Melbourne winter. I’m not sure if it’s the warming effects of the alcohol or the intoxicating effects, but after I couple I don’t seem to notice the cold anymore. So I’m very thankful to Broadway Liquor for sending in this, it’s an excellent example of old Amontillado.

Notes of cedery wood and walnuts with hints of old leather. I’d like to say sweet fruit as well, but its more orange peel and spice. Plenty of great old wood character with some varnishy tobaccaco notes, and walnuts on the palate. I rarely talk about tannins in sherry, but this has very soft tannins on the very long finish. It’s quite full on, but very dry and flavoursome. 92 Pts.

Tio Pepe Fino (375ml)

I’ve written this wine up before, but it’s such a classic I’m writing it up again. One of things with sherry is that it does change slightly from each drawing of the solera. It’s kind of like NV or MV champagne in that different disgorgement dates can be different wines altogether. The aim is to have a consistent house style and flavour, but there are always some small difference.I don’t know the bottling date on this one, but I’m sure that it is reasonably fresh.

I got home last night and decided that a bit of cooked up chorizo and some mushrooms in cream and garlic was the menu for dinner. The mushrooms need a splash of sherry or wine, so what better excuse to open a bottle. Plus I have some Tio Pepe copitas I bought back from Spain years ago, so Tio Pepe was the drink of choice…

Very pale in colour (don’t believe the picture, photoshop has tinted the colour a bit darker when I converted from RAW to JPEG) with a fine nose of apples, a touch of lemon and orange peel,  almonds and light flor character. Long and lively in the mouth with plenty of nuts, a shake of salt and orange peel. Balanced with crisp acidity. Not as precise and harmonious as my last bottle, but still a great fino. 90 Pts

Bodegas Hidalgo ‘Pastrana’ Manzanilla Pasada

I stopped by Rathdowne Cellars on Saturday morning in search of Manzanilla and found this puppy. It comes in a full 750ml bottle so you can have two binges from the one bottle. For our non-Australian visitors, the Australian Government is about to release new alcohol guidelines that assert that more than 4 standard drinks in one day is a ‘binge’ on alcohol, and that any more than 2 drinks a day is harmful. 4 standard drinks is about 3 glasses of wine.
Its an unusual sherry for more than just the bottle size, its a single vineyard wine which is quite rare but not un heard of. Like champagne, most sherry is made from a range of vineyards and then blended. The whole story is on the front label, so I won’t spoil the read for you.
Apples and chamomile on the nose with some almonds and light flor notes. Very delicate, mellow and smooth in the mouth, quite nutty but refreshing. The palate shows plenty of typical manzanilla notes of apple, almonds, a bit of salt and yeasty bread. Less salty than expected.  A warm finish that lingers for quite a while. Highly drinkable and an excellent with food too.  92 Pts

Source: Rathdowne Cellars Price: $34 Closure: Cork Stopper

Web: www.vinicola-hidalgo.es

Lustau “Escuadrilla” Amontillado

Just a quick note today, I've got a load of painting to finish off before the end of the week. I'm mainly a fino/manzanilla guy, but I do enjoy a bit of older sherry action from time to time. Amontillado is a handy style as it goes well with cheese and is great with soup to start off a meal. 

In the glass its the colour of molasses. Fresh and vibrant nose of crushed almonds and peacans, coffee, and a touch of orange rind. In the mouth its savoury and mouth coating, but balanced by the acid and a touch of heat. Good length with an orange and coffee twist. Goes well with a wedge of hard cheese.  90 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $19 (375ml) Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.emilio-lustau.com

Sánchez Romate “Marismeño” Fino

Its good summer's day in Melbourne today, not too hot, but sunny.  Perfect for fino.  Well any day is a good day for sherry really.  So out came the olives, jamon, white anchovies and a bottle of fino for lunch today.  Now this is living… 

Almonds, apples, honeysuckle, orange blossom, and yeasty flor character.  Tangy and fresh in the mouth with a slice of acid that really cleans the palate.  A lingering finish with sea spray and anise.  Almonds, tangy flor and a touch a anise and lemon peel on the palate.  Great with snacky cured meats and fish.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $30 (750ml) Closure: Cork Stopper

Web: www.romate.com

Herederos de Argueso San Leon Manzanilla

I was out at lunch last week and ordered a glass of Manzanilla to kick things off.  One of the guys said "I'll have one too".  I was quite surprised, so I said "you know I just ordered Sherry?" "Oh, I thought you ordered a refreshing white wine" was his reply.  And he was right.  At 15% Manzanilla is about the same as a glass of chardonnay these days, and is the ultimate refresher in these days of climate change.

San Leon is new in town, adding to what seems to be a growing list of Manzanilla available in Australia.  Like most sherry houses, Herederos de Argueso has been around since the dawn of time and produces the full range of wines.  It is one of the leading manzanillas in the UK actually.

Very pale, almost colourless. Classic nose, salt spray, chamomile, roasted nuts and flor.  Refreshing and highly drinkable.  This is not a simple sherry, the palate is complex, but subtle.  More nuts, light sea salt and tangy apple. There is also a mealy character that I find very interesting.  You will need to order a couple of these, it goes all too quickly.  92 Pts.

Source:  Toro/Woods Wines Price: Around $18 (375ml) Closure: Screwcap

Web:  www.argueso.es

Lustau Solera Reserva Jarana Fino

I still have a fridge full of Sherry, it has been very civilised to come home from work to a glass or two.

What makes Jerez and surrounds such a good place to make sherry?  As always, there are a couple of things that make this area unique. Firstly the climate, but also the soil.  They call it albariza, and its a fine, chalky soil.  Its a start contrast to the other soil types in the area and is perfect for growing palomino in the hot dry conditions.

Lustau have been around for quite some time and produce a huge range of sherries.  This one comes from their middle tier range.

Fine and light on the nose, almonds and apple with a hint of salt and flor.  Its a fruit plate in the mouth, crisp apple and nuts with an orange like tang on the finish.  Fresh, light and zingy is a good way to sum it up.  So well balanced, its far too easy to drink. This would be a good introduction to dry sherry, as well as making the old hands very happy.  90 Pts.

Source: Rathdowne Cellars Price: $15 (375ml) Closure: Cork Stopper

Web: www.emilio-lustau.com

La Guitana Manzanilla

The gypsy girl, possibly the best known manzanilla, you could say she is the face of Manzanilla.  The picture on the label was painted byJoaquín Turina.  Again this is a very popular manzanilla, its the drink of choice in the bars of Seville, which must be the sherry drinking capital of the world.

This bottle is getting towards the end of its drinking life having been bottled in January this year, but it is still showing very well looks fresh. A fresher bottle (less than 6 months in bottle) may go up a point.

Very pale with aromas of sea spray and almonds with a great yeasty, flor character oozing the essence of good manzanilla.  Dry, refreshing and balanced in the mouth, more lightly salted nuts, bitter herbs and a touch of apple. 88 Pts.

Source: Rathdowne Cellars Price: Around $16.50 (500ml) Closure: Cork Stopper

Web:  www.vinicola-hidalgo.es

Valdespino Inocente Fino

Back to sherry, and a very good one at that. Valdespino Inocente Fino is renowned as a great fino, all the big names have given it the nod.  Valdespino claims to be the oldest bodega in Jerez, they have been making the stuff for 700 years so they could well be.  However, the current business has been going since 1875

Very pale, almost neutral in colour, with a slight yellow/green tint.  A beautiful sherry fino nose, green apple, almonds and a slight note of iodine.  Its dry and bursting with freshness in the mouth, jam packed full of classic flavours: a light bitter herb and a yeasty, woody character mixed in with some salty nuts.  Complex and refreshing. Nicely balanced, it has a prick of acid and a nice smooth finish.  A classic.  How can wine this good be so cheap?   92 Pts.

Source: Importer Sample Price: Around $17 (375ml) Closure: Cork Stopper

Importer: Negociants Australia