Amontillado 17.5%, Viña Santa Petronila

Appearance

Amber-tapaz with coppery tints, legs.

Nose

Quite a generous nose and fragrant with traces of nutty sweetness and some age with traces of spice; cinnamon and vanilla, an earthy note and American oak. Very attractive.

Palate

Fairly full with gentle traces of warm spices such as cinnamon interlaced with toasted almonds, hazelnut and oak. There is enough volatile acidity to give bit of bite and balance the glyceric sweetness leaving a  very classy wine with real character and length.

Comments

This is a really good wine and it is probably somewhere around 15 years old. It comes from the smallest bodega in the Marco de Jerez, an XVIII century casa de viña surrounded by its vineyard, with its tiny bodega where everything is done by hand. The wine is contract bottled en rama.

Price

25.75 euros per 50cl bottle from Licores Corredera

Bodegas: Viña Santa Petronila

Established in 1737 if not before, this is the smallest Sherry bodega and surely the most beautiful, situated among its 17 hectares of albariza vineyard between the Pagos Tizon and Macharnudo Bajo. It once belonged to the firm of Fletcher Ivison who named it after his wife, Petronila Pastor, and now it belongs to the Norwegian Brita Hektoen and her husband Agustín.

Really it is a casa de la viña, and while it is a working bodega, its main focus is on vineyard tourism. The building is in its original condition only being restored where necessary, yet has all modern facilities, even a salt water swimming pool. Here one can learn – and see - all the processes of Sherry production from the vineyard right through to the glass, and how it was done in the past, helped by a wine museum with lots of old implements.

Naturally Petronila belongs to the Ruta de los Vinos y Brandies de Jerez, and groups of friends or families can stay here in this atmospheric house which can accommodate up to 24 people, and it is well situated in beautiful countryside full of wildlife, yet only minutes by car from Jerez. They can cater for all kinds of event: tastings, dinners, flamenco, vineyard work, ham carving, the list is almost endless. You only need to discuss your requirements.

The wines produced here, all under the name Viña Petronila are Fino en Rama, Amontillado, Oloroso and PX, the latter two are occasionally blended to make a Cream.

Address: Carretera del Calvario, km 3.5, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz

Telephone: (+34) 669 750 888

Web: www.santapetronila.com