Appearance
Deep transparent burnt sienna with ruddy tints fading to a yellow/green rim, slow legs.
Nose
Full, deep and most attractive, complex notes of muscovado sugar, toasted bread and almonds, dates, figs, old barrel wood, toffee, slightly burnt caramel, cinnamon and a slight rancio hint. Quite sweet yet serious, tangy and beautifully integrated over its 20 years. It is an Oloroso abocado perhaps but not quite as sweet as a Cream.
Palate
Super smooth entry then bursts out with fig and date fuelled tanginess, the sweetness follows, then it all balances up. The sweet exuberant start gives way to a more serious side where the wood and Oloroso come through. This has been more than teaspooned (adding a drop of PX to balance out the astringency of an old wine without obviously sweetening it), but it is less sweet than a Cream being medium to medium-sweet, but the important thing is the flavour, and there's lots of that. Tangy figs and dates, some walnut in syrup, a trace of coffee and an appealing texture. Delicious for sipping of an evening.
Comments
This is a lovely wine, well judged in its sweetness. It contains about 8% Pedro Ximenez yet it is not excessive, it just rounds off the wine nicely. The Macharnudo wine is fermented in butts and after a year the Oloroso is fortified to 17% and aged oxidatively in one of the Oloroso soleras which was, of course, established in 1842. The PX is blended in at around the half way point and the blend carries on through the solera emerging after about 25 years as a finished wine. The sugar content is about 50-60g/l, less than a Cream
Price
About £32, but half bottles are available. I got this from Cornelius, Edinburgh. UK importers Liberty Wines.
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