Argüeso Cream

Cream sherry is usually a blend of Oloroso with some Pedro Ximénez to add sweetness. The risk is always excessive sweetness, which drowns the qualities of the Oloroso component. In this case, 20% is P.X.

Argüeso Cream is around five years old

Bodegas Argüeso, known mostly for their quality Manzanilla and excellent Amontillado, add some Amontillado to their Cream wine.

Argüeso Cream (17%, Bodegas Argüeso)

Nose: pretty good. The typical dried fruits are here (figs, dates, dried apricots) in a rather aromatic way. There’s also a lovely hint of polished oak / beeswax that we usually find in very old sherries, especially Amontillado. It’s certainly not too sweet, and the aromatic depth is surprising for a Cream.

Mouth: sweet but not too sticky. A fairly natural Cream, with a decent impression of the authentic Oloroso and Amontillado underneath, although it’s a little more hidden than I hoped. Dried fruits, caramel and molasses. A hint of pepper. Short finish.

Availability: relatively good, in specialized stores. Around € 12.

Summary: I'm not a big fan of Cream sherry, although this one is really enjoyable, certainly on the nose. It maintains the natural finesse of the Oloroso and Amontillado inside. Good with cheese, or as a summery drink on the rocks.

3

Good

Tags: 17%, Amontillado, Argüeso, Blended sherry, Cream sherry, Oloroso, Sanlúcar de Barrameda

About the Author

Ruben is a Certified Sherry Educator who fell in love with sherry some 25 years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at www.whiskynotes.be