Another exceptional wine by Equipo Navazos and a beautiful old Sanlucar amontillado by anyone’s standards. The second time I have had this one and I can see why I bought another (from the guys at Coalla Gourmet). I was inspired to taste it again – in part by my recent brushes with Sanlucar amontillados and olorosos, and in part because my kiwi mucker Erik Burgess has apparently been at dinner tonight with the great JB, but what put the thought in my head was really a brilliant solo tasting session by Victor de la Serna.

A gorgeous colour of old crystaline old amber, a polished wood nose and then a massive palate. Saline not excessively so and slightly more juice and tobacco than in some of the classics (still not a lot by way of sweet notes but a flavour like jammy wood nevertheless). A quite unbelievably long finish to it. I have written all this since my first sip – with my thumbs on an iphone – and the flavours are still there. In fact it seems like my head is full of spicey gas – wine with the cigar incorporated.

Serious wine, flavourful but elegant too.

Very old, very famous Sanlucar amontillado with an average age of over 40 years from the bodega Rodriguez la Cave, a once Hispano Frances bodega now part of Delgado Zuleta, who claim to be the oldest in the business. I was surprised that I hadn’t written about this on the blog already, but on a recount the nights where this wine have been involved have not been conducive to note taking. Anyway, better late than never.

As you can see it is a beautiful, lively amber colour with a hint of yellow orange. On first opening it was a little closed up and unforthcoming, but after a week or so open (with the cork in) it seems a different proposition (it is also true that I may be in a better mood/frame of mind, who knows).  Now on the nose it has some spirity fumes – closer to petrol than to brandy – then walnut skin, furniture polish, and cigar box wood.  

On the palate it is very dry and very salty, sharp but full and refined. Zingy and acidic feel on the tongue and massive in salty seawater volume, and leaves a buzz rather than a sting.  Flavours are woody, leathery, and tobacco, before a long long salty and savoury/bitter finish with the tongue still buzzing.

It is easy to see why this is for many the top of the pops in terms of Sanlucar amontillados – a salty beast.

This Amontillado Coliseo, by Valdespino, was the big beast (in a little bottle) at the end of a memorable dinner at Sacha and one that served as an intense, tasty contrast to the arguable star of the night, the Palo Cortado Reliquia. Like that other wine, this is one of the dinosaurs of the cellar, with an average age of 80 or 90 years, but while the Barbadillo seemed even a little over refined, this was a little brute, full of concentrated flavour.

Dark, mahogany furniture in colour and a punchy, but smooth polish nose. On the palate it was incredibly saline and dense with woody flavours of black treacle, burnt cake and pipe tobacco. Compared to the Reliquia it may have been a little astringent but that salinity and concentration gave it the longest of finishes and I really liked it (I took it after all).

Very very good – may have to taste it again sober!