Amontillado Aurora 19%, Bodegas Yuste

Appearance

Pure amber with coppery gold highlights and the slightest trace of green at the rim.

Nose

Interesting and attractive, fresh, saline and savoury with lots of coastal notes of sea air, seaweed and beaches, then there are the oxidative, almost rancio notes with walnut - almost walnut in syrup - with traces of hazelnut and a slight hint of caramel. Its complexity creeps up on you as you are enjoying it so much. Classic Sanlúcar Amontillado.

Palate

Light and open textured, dry, almost crisp with that salted caramel note almost balancing the salinity and a trace of volatile acidity yet giving a fleeting appearance of sweetness and an attractive tension. There is very little tannin, the acidity is perfect and the alcohol is well contained. The effect is a wine with real character which is supremely elegant and very long.

Comments

Francisco Yuste has created a range of fine quality wines around the name Aurora which originated with his purchase of Pedro Romero's Manzanilla Aurora solera. This wine started out as a Manzanilla, and it certainly shows; it could only be from Sanlúcar and it is extremely good. And very well priced. Interestingly it was allowed to become Amontillado without a second fortification, which let it slowly develop through the full pasada stage and gain considerable complexity. It has an average age of about 20 years. In fact it goes on to feed the last criadera of the famous Conde de Aldama Amontillado solera, one of Sanlúcar's finest.

Price
12.60 euros per 50cl, Licores Corredera

Manzanilla La Kika 15%, Bodegas Yuste

Appearance

Fairly deep strawy brassy gold, looks to be en rama, some legs

Nose

Beautiful and deep, saline flor, olive brine and sourdough. It is quite full, very maritime and reeks of Manzanilla Pasada with the very slightest traces of rope, butter and nuts coming through which indicate that the flor is getting thinner and that air is beginning to influence the wine. If ever a wine smelled of its place of origin, this is it.

Palate

Deep and really quite intense, with great presence, olive brine, sea salt, hints of almond, a decent acidity gives it a tang, and there is a hint of autolysis, all of which adds up to a complexity which is amazing for 8 years of age, and the flavours go on and on in a soft round finish with a bitter flor edge.

Comments

This wine is beautiful but serious stuff. It comes from selected butts in the first criadera of a 400 butt solera with 9 criaderas over a century old in the bodega Santa Ana, right where its owner lives. It is only bottled occasionally and in tiny quantities, mainly for family and friends. It is nearly 11 years old yet still retains flor all year round and is thus a Manzanilla pasada, a lovely stage, and it is bottled en rama, 1,000 bottles per October saca. The bottle is a one-off and it even has a tiny spout, along with a long stopper cork which gives a great seal. The wine is named in homage to Francisco's mother, Francisca Brioso, whose portrait appears on the label.

Price

25 Euros. Not easy to obtain.