This is really excellent wine.

It is a beautiful dark gold in colour – a deep amber. It looks frankly delicious. On the nose it has a fine quality that I am beginning to think of as the hallmark of Emilo Hidalgo, and sweet aromas of nutty toffee – toasted almonds or even honey roasted peanuts, maybe just a little bit of hay bale at the end to remind you of the flor. A lovely nose, no doubt.

It is also super elegant on the palate. In texture it is very light, a very refined oil, fatty but not too much.  Flavourwise it has real shape to it: it starts quietly, with a cool, buttery toffee type entry, but expands into unexpectedly intense salty, slightly zingy, alcoholic toffee flavours. Very long finish – a little bitter and very savoury after all the sweetness in the nose and the tip of the tongue but just about in balance.

I had this with some sweetbreads and salty roasted vegetables here in my favourite watering hole but to be honest I then had a second glass on its own and it was even better. Really a superb wine, and for me head and shoulders above the (very few) other amontillado finos you see around.

  
Apologies for the repetition but I do believe that any time you drink a wine of this quality you should take time to appreciate it. 

The colour is a beautiful deep brown – just a hint of orangey chestnut and it is as clear as a bell (unlike the bottle it came out of – which looks distinctly primeval at the bottom). On the nose there are a lot of notes: toffee, refined sugar and orangey fruit, maybe even Terrys chocolate orange – and some alcohol. You could almost say there is a bit of Glenmorangie about it. 

First sip, not big or fat on the tongue and maybe a little bitter – a bit of acidity, heat and burnt toffee. But it is not at all astringent or unbalanced and the toffee and even nearly chocolate flavours come through as it goes on, and on. It is so long it is unbelievable – and keeps its full shape too. 

Really a very fine wine. 

  
Late night supping. Dark gold in colour and a lot of crunchie bar on the nose. This has been open a while and it seems to have a bit more edge but not full on acidity. There is burnt, toasty caramel – and a bit of burnt apple sauce there too. From memory it seems to not be as deep, full and bready but there are lingering yeast flavours. It really seems a different wine – still top drawer though. 

An old favourite this and a beauty. 

A lovely colour to it – a reddish honey. There is honey on the nose too – slightly salty honey. The salinity is noticeable on the palate, too – it isn’t as sweet as honey, with notes of burnt caramel and a salty, bready intensity. A serious wine. 

Still in Surtopia and making full use of the opportunity.  

This is a classic amontillado from Valdespino and in a sense is the uncle (Diego) of the Inocente fino. It is a dark, old brass orange in colour and as clear as a bell. On the nose there are aromas of caramel and cream, and it also creamy in the mouth – a very lush feel to it. On the palate the first flavour is caramel, followed by bitter citrus – marmalade – and some nice acidity and spice at the back end. Very (too) drinkable. 

Apologies if these posts are repetitive but this wine is like the proverbial pig with a wooden leg – too good to consume all at once.

First the lovely red colour – almost pink – is really appetising. Then the massive multifaceted nose: to me it is black treacle on caramel, just a hint of spices and cooked citrus. In terms of mouthfeel it is zingy – definite acid and volatility – but the flavours are again super rich – black treacle with maybe just a bit of chocolate and a definite bitter citrus edge. It is of course immensely long.

Absolutely superb (again).

This is one of a series of Equipo Navazos wines – 47, 48, this one and the 51 – from ridiculously old, rare botas. They are all superstars – showstoppers, absolutely mind blowing. 

But they are also very hard work. In the past I have struggled with the 47 and the 48 and this was a similar experience – there is no doubt about its incredible complexity and power, but it is also extremely acidic and tough to drink. It is a finer, less astringent wine than the palo cortados, but I really question how drinkable it is.  

It was also unfortunate to be followed by the Toneles, which really is a bomb.