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.