Sunday 19 May 2013

Amontillado Goyesco 17.5%, B Rodriguez de la Cave (Delgado Zuleta)

Appearance
Pale golden amber with old gold glints, legs.
Nose
On the cusp between Manzanilla and Amontillado; still lots of Manzanilla notes like the maritime flor bitterness and a trace of autolysis mingling with the oxidative and slightly sweet, nutty notes of Amontillado. This is what the wine smells like when the flor dies off and the air gets in, but before it has oxidised much.
Palate
Fresh young Amontillado: hazelnut, implicit glycerol sweetness, a trace of membrillo (quince jelly) but still retaining Manzanilla freshness and some of its lightness. Dry, well rounded, elegant and long. It really shows how Sherries develop.
Comments
Delgado Zuleta are proud of this wine, and rightly so. It won a Silver at the IWSC. In the past, it would have been called a Manzanilla Amontillada, but the Consejo felt that such terminology confused the consumer, and it was banned, so now only one or other term may be used - in this case Amontillado. And yet this wine has actually spent longer under flor (5 years) than it has under oxidation (3 years). Whatever, it is a lovely and hard-to-find style of wine, a little less strong and lighter than a full Amontillado, and perfect for people who are new to Sherry or, of course with food, with which this is very versatile.
Price
£11.75 at Drinkmonger, Edinburgh. (UK importer Bibendum).


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