Oloroso 12 Years Old 19%, Bertola/Paternina

Appearance
Mahogany/amber fading to yellow, legs.
Nose
Savoury walnut with slight hints of Marmite, fresh, clean and elegant yet fairly pungent with notes of toasty American oak, dried fruits and nuts, especially walnut. Rounded and attractive.
Palate
Smooth with glyceric apparent sweetness but dry with the slight bitterness of the walnut balancing the glycerol. Nice clean oxidation, interesting balance of savoury and sweet, quite full bodied with good length.
Comments
A more than decent well made Oloroso with all the characteristics one could expect. Aged in a solera with 5 criaderas originally from Bertola, then via Rumasa to Paternina.
Price
£ ? Hard to find generally in the UK, but imported by Peter Watts Wines in Coggeshall, Essex

Amontillado 12 Years Old 18%, Bertola/Paternina

Appearance
Golden to light amber, legs.
Nose
Classic Amontillado nose: elegant with lots of hazelnut, slight hints of honey, vanilla and a trace of bitterness in the background relating to the flor, nutty gentle and persistent.
Palate
A well textured, well balanced friendly wine, dry with notes of honeyed nuts: almonds and hazelnuts, and American oak. There is that classic appearance of sweetness from the glycerol. Twelve years is no great age for an Amontillado, but this is genuine, elegant and attractive.
Comments
A well made wine, aged for three years as a Fino before being fortified to 17% and converting to Amontillado over 9 years in a five criadera solera, where it develops that extra degree of alcohol.
Price
£ ? Not widely available in the UK but imported by Peter Watts Wines of Coggeshall, Essex.