Recent Articles
-
7th February 2008 2 Comments
It’s probably not really fair to compare these two wines as they are a class apart and their prices reflect this. The Gonzalez Byass “Viña AB” Amontillado is from their mid-range, their sacristia “Del Duque” Amontillado would be a more equal match with this Fernando de Castilla Amontillado. Still, I think it’s interesting to compare sherries from different ends of the quality/age scale. Both these Amontiallos are dry, which is the norm in Spain.
They have very different appearances, the Viña AB much paler than the FdC, a function of age I guess and the AB tends to gold, while the FdC is very much in the amber camp. Both are very bright and shiny, surprising for the FdC since they don’t filter their wines.
On the nose, the FdC comes right out and grabs you. Very pronounced and very complex but surprisingly clean. There is all sorts going on in there and I’m not even sure where to start describing the nose. Everything is so well integrated it’s difficult to prize apart all the individual aromas. Nuts, sweet dried fruit, perhaps prunes, raisins. A woody undercurrent, but not the inside of a barrel, more along the lines of pulling the drawer from some posh, mahogany sideboard and sticking your nose inside it. There’s a hint of sweet spice too, cinnamon, perhaps cloves. The more youthful Viña AB is not nearly as complex, but does have a fruity aroma of waxy apple skin with a touch of something mineral a bit like car oil or grease.
The FdC is round and smooth in the mouth. You would not know it had 19% alcohol. The flavours are everything there was on the nose with a very long evolving finish. The Viña AB is quite delicate in comparison and has a nutty, almond flavour. Not nearly as long – as expected.
The Fernando de Castilla has to be something which should be enjoyed quietly on its own, while the Viña AB (16.5% alcohol) would probably work well with a meal, something like barbequed chicken.
-
7th February 2008 1 Comment
It’s very windy in Jerez today, the “levante” is blowing. Nothing better than to retreat indoors and try some sherry. Two finos from medium-sized bodegas: Alvaro Domecq “La Janda” and Sanchez Romate “Marismeño”.
Romate remains in the ownership of local families, and have not joined the trend of cashing in and moving out of the centre of town. They must be sitting on some valuable real estate! Alvaro Domecq are less central but also in town. Control of Alvaro Domecq was recently gained by Manuel Jove, a spanish billionaire.
The Alvaro Domecq “La Janda” has a typical pale golden colour, the Sanchez Romate “Marismeño” also pale and golden but with perhaps a touch more colour than the La Janda.”.
On the nose they are very different. The La Janda seems light for a fino, and has clean, green, stalky aromas. The Marismeño is not pronounced either and has a sweet, fruity nose which reminds me of grated ripe apple.
The La Janda is is light, clean and crisp in the mouth. A bit like biting into a Granny Smith. There is a flavour of flor, which did not come through so strongly on the nose. There is a more rounded, fuller feel to the Marismeño and the flavour is of ripe apple.”.
I think the La Janda would go very well with salty, grilled prawns and the Marismeño, ice cold, on its own as an aperitif.”.
