Amontillado Viejo La Garrocha 20.5%, Bodegas Grant

Appearance

Bright patinated mahogany with copper highlights fading through amber to a hint of green at the rim.

Nose

Forthcoming, aromatic, crisp and pure, a classic old Amontillado nose with intense notes of  toasted nuts, exotic woods, even a trace of incense, and a noticeable salinity and a slight trace of cinnamon all beautifully harmonised into a delightful bouquet. It is a real "vino de pañuelo" - so aromatic that a gentleman would put a drop on the handkerchief in his breast pocket, the Jerezano's superior version of aftershave.

Palate

Fresh and lively with a certain (inevitable for its age) volatile acidity. It is good and dry yet well rounded and extremely elegant with smooth tannins and intense crisp nutty saline flavour with lots of toasted almond and that lovely trace of cinnamon. A beautiful wine with great length and character.

Comments

Bodegas Grant produce extremely limited quantities of very old Oloroso, Palo Cortado, PX and this Amontillado. Rarely are all available at once. The wines are all well over thirty years old, probably nearer 50, yet as quantities are so limited it is not worth their while to go through all the machinations of the VOS/VORS system. The wines would easily qualify however. They are presented in an elegant old fashioned bottle and sealed with a driven cork and a wax capsule. The wax is as old fashioned as the bottle, and is brittle, so it needs to be warmed in very hot water to soften it but the effort is very worth while.

Price
70 euros, Er Guerrita