The second expression I’ve sampled from the recent Celtic Whiskey Shop Dingle sherry cask tasting is the Amontillado.
“Amontillado is a very unique wine due to its dual ageing process: first under the veil of flor, typical of Fino and Manzanilla, followed by a period in which the flor disappears and the wine is exposed to oxidation. Made from palomino grapes, this fusion of ageing processes makes the Amontillado wines extraordinarily complex and intriguing. ” – Sherry Wines
Appearance: Tizer orange. Autumn bronze. Good defined legs, viscous and oily.
Nose: Berries, dark fruits and orange. It’s actually quite new makey! There’s cherries too. It’s a lovely sweet trifle.
Oak appears after a few sips, along with raisins and light sherry.
Palate: Lovely and buttery (taste and mouthfeel), quite mellow which is nice. Slight oakiness and the oranges are still at the front. As the palate develops, so too does the prominence of the wood notes. A touch drying towards the end.
Finish: Slight pepper heat, sweetness and oak. Bit of a copper tang at the back of the palate. Dark fruits and a touch of sugar.
Overall: More balanced than the Oloroso expression, not so heavily oaky/herbal. There’s still a lot of these notes, but there’s also a greater influence from the sweetness, which is counter-intuitive given the casks used I believe.
