Rich, nutty Nose. Of the two Grassl glasses I tried this out of, it showed better from Mineralite than Liberte. Medium amber color. Typical high-toned Sherry Nose, with some orange blossom. Very intense on the palate, with lightly toasted almonds, a moderate tawny note, and intense lemon/acidic aspect. I cannot emphasize enough how incredibly intense this Amontillado shows. The finish goes on and on and on and … I had planned to drink this over the course of a month, but it is just so incredibly delicious I killed the entire bottle by myself in a matter of about 5 days. Superlative! Buy if you can find it. Gut impression score: mid to high 90s.
I think that most people who don’t like dry Sherry in general don’t care for the strong acetone notes. It can be off-putting if the wine isn’t handled right. Most older Sherries need a lot of air to come into their own, to balance the acetone with the fruit, nuts, and salinity in the wine. I’ve found that to be the case with this particular wine.
Yes, that sounds about right. Honestly, just a bit dull and uninteresting to me.
But speaking of interesting have you read about the new Finite series of Sherries from Gonzalez Byass? I just ordered a few from Whiskey Exchange. To be opened at one of my very first post-vaccine dinners.
They have two vintage dated Finos from 2010 and 2011 which means they managed to maintain the layer of flor without topping up for nearly 10 years.
Locally, we have a choice of a sherry that passed its best by date 3 years ago or 7 years ago (as stated on the bottle’s rear label). David, I never figured you for a sherry lover. Jay’s love for the flawed beverage is well documented.
Bummer it wasn’t more to your liking, but differences of opinion are part of what makes this hobby fun and interesting.
But speaking of interesting have you read about the new Finite series of Sherries from Gonzalez Byass? I just ordered a few from Whiskey Exchange. To be opened at one of my very first post-vaccine dinners.
They have two vintage dated Finos from 2010 and 2011 which means they managed to maintain the layer of flor without topping up for nearly 10 years.
I have not! Those Finos certainly sound very interesting! … off to look now … Sherries, given what they are, are one of few exceptions to my “only buy from CA stores” rule, as I’m hardly concerned about heat damage.