Amontillado Antique (Fernando de Castilla)
A missing piece in the lovely Antique series
Amontillado Antique is one of the great Amontillados that every sherry aficionado should have tried. It forms part of the premium Antique range from Bodegas Fernando de Castilla, which also contains a Fino, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez.
This range has been around for maybe 15 years now and not a lot has changed. At the time it was rather unique for having clear glass bottles (stressing the colour and age) and a 50cl format (stressing the value). It was one of the things that placed Fernando de Castilla on the map as one of the first outsider “boutique” bodegas.
Two ways to look at Amontillado
In fact there are two ways to look at Amontillado. The first is to take a Fino or Manzanilla as far as you can and then let it cross the border to Amontillado, so to speak. This would lead to a slightly sharper profile with a lot of its underlying biological character still showing. The other method is to start from a normal middle-aged Fino and fortify it while there’s still more roundness to it. If you then refresh the solera with wine that is not thát old, you’ll maintain this roundness. This wine follows the second path. After ageing under flor for five years, the wine is fortified a second time to 19% and switches to oxidative aging.
The Antique Amontillado is supposedly around 20 years of age. Sources don’t seem to be conclusive, and we know Fernando de Castilla doesn’t really stress the age of its wines. In any case the oxidative phase should be considerably longer than the biological.
Amontillado Antique (19%, Fernando de Castilla, 50cl)
Nose: nice aromatic intensity, with a beautiful layer of furniture polish up front, as well as a firm hint of caramelized almonds and toffee. Then some sultanas, walnuts, mild tobacco notes, toasted bread and hints of pine nuts. Clove studded oranges. Underneath is a nice bright hint of dried apricots and juicy plums. Gentle iodine and pollen in the distance.
Mouth: good punch, even though the initial onset seemed a bit soft. Nice acidity, a gentle peppery edge and lots of warm, polished oaky notes again. A big salty kick (olives in brine) as well. Then tobacco, a hint of brioche, toasted almonds and cedar wood. Citrus rind and sultanas follow later. Less umami than some other Amontillados – I love it when they emphasise the coastal freshness. Long finish, with old oak and subtle caramel.
Availability: around € 50 for a 50cl bottle. Check The Whisky Exchange or Decántalo for instance.
Summary: An Amontillado that has lots of rounded (almost off-sweet) notes and polished oak, but also a big freshness and piercing coastal character. Already a textbook Amontillado - with a bit more oomph this would have been sublime.
4.5
Excellent
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
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