Appearance
Very deep blacky brown/burnt umber to yellow at the rim long slow legs.
Nose
Unctuous raisins, dates, figs, slight background hints of wood and coffee as well as very slightly burned toffee, but overall pure raisin with a great freshness - the smell of pasas arriving at the bodega. Quite young but quite classy.
Palate
Intense toffee and raisin with all those date and fig flavours and a terrific texture of raisin pulp, really mouthfilling with a very long slightly coffee-flavoured toffee finish, beginning to develop some real complexity, and again quite classy for its age.
Comments
There are not many high-security Sherries about, but this is one! "Candado" means padlock, and apparently one of the Valdespinos once kept this solera locked as he wanted it for himself. It must be a Valdespino theme as their Moscatel Toneles solera (of one huge butt) also sports one. However the Candado solera and brand formerly belonged to Manuel de Argueso in Sanlucar, founded in 1822 (and from whom Valdespino used to source their Manzanilla before finally buying them out), and Valdespino are merely carrying on the tradition.The solera has three criaderas and the finished wine is about ten years old, with about 420 g/l sugar.
Price
Available in 75cl and 37.5cl bottles at £18.50 and £9.95 respectively from Drinkmonger Edinburgh. UK importers Liberty Wines.
"No tocar" botas often have padlocks on them, don't they!
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