SPANISH DESSERT WINES

Spain is the home to numerous dessert wines, its most famous being called "Sherry."

However, not all "Sherry" is intended for dessert service.  Many are quite dry and served before dinner with "tapas," a variety of appetizers such as anchovy-stuffed olives, grilled prawns and thinly-sliced ham. 

Sherry was widely popular in Great Britain and it was well-known in William Shakespeare's time.  The wine was called "Sack" and it came from a variety of places:   The Canary Islands, Málaga, Cyprus, Greece as well as the Andalusian town of Jerez de la Frontera.  "Jerez" was known as "sherris," though today many pronounce it "hair-eth."

The production of Sherry is curious.  The grapes used to make Sherry are, for the most part, Palomino and the Pedro Ximénez, though Muscat is also cultivated. 

Sherry is fermented and then "fortified" with an addition of alcohol, bringing to a strength of 17-21% by volume.   This is often done as a two stage process.   Following the wines' initial fermentation, it may be fortified to 14-15% alcohol.   Later in its aging process, it may be fortified again, bringing it to its final strength.

The new wine is then transferred to some sort of oak cask, often called a butt.   This cooperage is of 132 gallon capacity.  That's a big butt!

Sherry is typically a blend of wines from various years.   You'll see stacks of barrels which make up the criaderas y solera.   The wine in the barrels at the bottom of the stack (generally four to five barrels high) is the "Solera."  When wine is bottled from the solera, a volume equal to what was bottled is then racked or transferred from the next level to the one down below.  The barrels are typically filled to something like 5/6ths capacity, allowing air to be present in each.  This allows for the oxidative process to occur, contributing a the somewhat nutty character which typifies the wines of Jerez.

While many Americans consider Sherry a dessert wine, the average Spaniard views it as a cocktail beverage.  And, in fact, the Finos are quite dry and consumed every evening with a variety of tapas.

Aside from Sherry, we shouldn't overlook the wines of Montilla-Moriles or Málaga.

Montilla makes Fino, Amontillado and Cream-styled wines.  Málaga wines are made from sun dried or boiled fruit (to concentrate the sugar content). 

We have found other Spanish dessert wines to be of interest.  Muscat and Malvasia are marvelously aromatic varieties and thrive under the warm Spanish sun.

Bodegas Gutiérrez de la Vega

Here's a winery from Spain's Alicante region.  Felipe Gutiérrez de la Vega has about ten or 12 hectares of vineyards, including Cabernet, Garnacha and Monastrell, but it's his Muscat wine which is of tremendous interest.

Called "Cosecha Miel" or "honey harvest," this is made of Moscatel Alejandria (also known as Moscatel Romano) which is picked at high levels of sugar.   It seems to have a hint of wood, the wine being fermented and matured in French and American oak.  The perfume of this wine is incredible!  You may detect floral and fruity notes of the Muscat, but there's a spicy note which some interpret at ginger or nutmeg.  The wine is sweet but not syrupy.  The finish is very honeyed and exceptionally long. We feel this is the Château d'Yquem of Spain, as it has an oily, unctuous quality.   Pair this with fresh fruit desserts...pineapple, raspberries, peaches, apricots, strawberries.....

Currently in stock:  2006 CASTA DIVA Moscatel  $29.99 (500ml)




OLIVARES

Winemaker Paco Selva produces dry red wine from his Jumilla vineyards in southern Spain.  But he leaves a few hectares of Mourvèdre vines, known as Mataro or Monastrell for a late-harvest dessert wine.  

The Jumilla region is, like other Spanish wine areas, awakening from a very long slumber, so it's only recently we're seeing profound and compelling wines from this area.  And Jumilla has a few really positive aspects...there are many remarkably old vineyards there (and planted on their own roots as phylloxera has not plagued this sandy region).  The cool evenings allow the retention of good levels of acidity, while the hot days allow the grapes to achieve substantial degrees of maturity.

Selva takes advantage of these attributes and produces a lovely dessert wine from Monastrell.   It seems he's been making this wine for some years but never sold it commercially.  That changed when a sommelier from some fancy Spanish dining establishment tasted the wine, was knocked out by it and insisted he have some for the restaurant.  So, not too many bottles make their way to California.  

The wine is dark in color and has a blackberryish fruit quality on the nose and palate.  I'm sort of tempted to describe this as a Spanish version of Banyuls, but not many Banyuls as as well-made as this.  The fog, further, encourages a bit of botrytis, so there's a hint of a honeyed note.  Remarkable wine.  

Currently in stock :  Olivares Monastrell Dulce $24.99 (500ml)

EMILIO LUSTAU

This is an old, yet dynamic Sherry producer.  The original firm was founded in 1896, taking its name from the son-in-law of the founder of the firm.  The Lustau name has been associated with Sherry since 1950.  Today the firm is owned and operated by Don Luis Caballero. 
The founder of the firm was an "almacenista," someone who bought and aged Sherry.  The firm continues the tradition and offers an amazing array of "Almacenista" Sherries.
We have a nice range of Lustau's Sherries and can special order their other products.
Especially noteworthy are the "Moscatel," a wine of about the same sweetness as their Cream Sherry, but fabulously aromatic and rich.
"East India" is a wine made in the style of wines shipped abroad and bottled on their return after a long sea voyage.  Lustau's East India is based on a dry Oloroso, sweetened to a level of sugar close to Cream Sherry.  It is given extended aging, not on a ship but in a special cellar with a humid environment. 
"Vendimia Cream" is made somewhat like Port, in that the fermentation is stopped by the addition of alcohol.  It is not nearly as sweet, though, as their normal Cream Sherry. 
The "Almacenista" wines are aged by independent cellars.  Lustau, originating as one of these, decided to offer a range of sherries with the name of the Almacenista and the number of barrels of a particular type on the label.  So, for example, we have an Amontillado with the designation "1/10" which means this bottling was of one of a set of ten barrels.  The idea here is to retain the highest quality sherry and offer it apart from a "master blend" where the wine might be a small part of the foundation.  
These are interesting and of very fine quality.  A bottle of these is not a huge investment and affords one the opportunity to savor something of exceptional quality (and rarity) at a very modest price.

Currently in stock: "Jarana" FINO Sherry $13.99
"Papirusa" MANZANILLA  $10.99
"Los Arcos" DRY AMONTILLADO $14.99
"Don Nuño" DRY OLOROSO $21.99
"Rare" CREAM SHERRY  $22.99
"Emilin" MOSCATEL $26.99
"Vendimia" CREAM SHERRY Sold Out
EAST INDIA SHERRY $28.99
PEDRO XIMENIZ $21.99

UNIQUE & RARE:
TINTILLA DE ROTA $49.99  Back in stock --  16 bottles remain
This is made of a red grape grown in the area of Rota, one village in Andalusia
which is well-known for about a 15 mile radius for this deep, dense, sweet wine.
The only other place it's known, it seems, is Burlingame, California.
Try some of this with a rich vanilla ice cream!  It's also dynamite with chocolate desserts.



ALMACENISTAS:
OLOROSO    $35.99
AMONTILLADO del Puerto "Jose Luis Gonzalez Obregon" 1/10  $35.99
PALO CORTADO "Vides*" 1/50  $35.99
PEDRO XIMENIZ "Murillo" Sold Out
MOSCATEL "Las Cruces" $46.99

 

*Vides is a firm owned by a relative of the Domecq firm, though this enterprise is in no way related.  Lustau says most of the soleras of this outfit are 15-20 years old and they're especially highly respected for their Palo Cortado and Oloroso wines.

PEDRO DOMECQ

One of the most famous "Fino" Sherries in the world is Pedro Domecq's "La Ina."
La Ina comes from an African word and I don't quite understand the significance of it (my Spanish is good enough to decipher only a small bit of the story).  

In any event, La Ina is, along with "Tio Pepe," the most famous Fino Sherry made.
Consider chilling a bottle of this to go with an assortment of salty almonds, anchovy-stuffed olives, mushrooms sautéed in olive oil with a bunch of garlic and, perhaps some grilled prawns.  

Domecq makes some fabulous, well-aged Sherry.  We have one called Venerable which is made from dried Pedro Ximeniz grapes.  I think they fortify what little juice they get from these grapes (or raisins) and the nectar is placed into the solera, which was started in 1902.  I've read the claim the wine bottled each year is something like 60 years old.  Only about 700 cases' worth of wine is bottled, making for a rare and deluxe treat.  Sweet, dark, dark in color and thick as molasses (the sugar content is very high, about 45%!) and showing toffee, spice and a hint of maple, you can pair this with a Crème Brûlée or Flan.  

Currently in stock:  LA INA "Fino" Sherry $13.99
DOMECQ "VENERABLE" (List $90)  SALE  $79.99 (back in stock)
DOMECQ "SIBARITA" (list $90) SALE $79.99





OSBORNE

The Osborne firm is huge and you'll see their "bull" logo all over Spain as you drive around the country.

They own a number of wineries on the Iberian Peninsula and producer all sorts of wines: Sherry, Port and table wines, along with producing some terrific brandies.

One of our favorites is their Solera "India" Sherry, a wonderfully complex wine that is sweet in terms of its aromatics, but dry and rich on the palate.  The color is a dark brown and the nose is very intense, showing woodsy notes, nuts and more nuts.  It's one of those wines that has an unusually long finish which you will feel for many minutes.  Too bad it's sold out...we've been asking the importer for more of this...so stay tuned.

Also quite good are the Fino Sherries of Osborne.  We have two different bottlings...the basic is a good value at $11.99 and it's mildly yeasty.  The one called "Coquinero" is an aged version of Fino Sherry, having a more intense nutty character to go with its yeasty tones. 

Currently in stock:  OSBORNE FINO SHERRY $11.99
OSBORNE FINO "Coquinero" SHERRY $15.99

The city of  Málaga  lends its name to a wine that's rather famous and yet hard to find.

Located in southern Spain at the Mediterranean Sea, the city is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians about 3,000 years ago.  Apparently they called the place "Malaca" after the word "malac," a term for salt.  It seems the town's proximity to the water gave rise to a large fishing and fish preserving industry at one time.

Around the early 1800s  Málaga's wines were more famed than the Sherries of Jerez.  

We have a sweet Málaga which is made of the Pedro Ximeniz grape.  You'll find it to have an aroma somewhat reminiscent of molasses and nuts.  It's pretty intense, so it's almost dessert by itself.  

Currently in stock:  HIJOS DE JOSE SUAREZ VILLALBA Quitapeñas "MÁLAGA" ORO VIEJO  $14.99 (750ml)
Please ask for "Malaga Oro Viejo," since the staff can't read the small print on the label with the Suarez name.  Muchas gracias!

HIDALGO

The Hidalgo winery is viewed by many as the reference point for the famous Manzanilla wine of Spain.  

This is a very light and very dry, delicate Sherry coming exclusively from the region of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, right on the Gulf of Cádiz.  It's said the breezes from the sea contribute the typical salty "tang" to the wines.  

Production of Manzanilla wines is not nearly as large as the quantity of mainstream Sherry.  The Hidalgo firm, though they make a full range of Sherry wines, is best known for its Manzanilla, called "La Gitana" (the gypsy).  It is delicious when served thoroughly chilled with salty grilled prawns and tangy olives.  

Currently in stock:  HIDALGO "LA GITANA" MANZANILLA $13.99 (500ml)

 

 

SANDEMAN

The House of Sandeman was founded by a Scotsman more than 200 years ago and evolved into a name strongly associated with Port and Sherry wines.

The firm has had its ups and downs, hopefully now in one of those "up" directions.

Their famous "logo" of the "Don" (see the poster on the left) was created back in the 1920s.  The firm, at that time, was big on commissioning its own art work and an artist named George Massiot-Brown came up with the "Don."  This mysterious figure is wearing a hat one might see in Spain, while dressed in a cape more commonly worn in Portugal or by super-heroes.  It's become a major advertising icon all around the Iberian Peninsula and throughout Europe.  

 

The firm's ownership is not clear to me, having been part of Seagram's empire.  They're still distributed by that firm, though Sandeman is now housed under the SOGRAPE umbrella (Sogrape being a large wine firm in Portugal, producing, amongst other wines, Mateus Rosé).  But the good news, we think, is that a Sandeman is once again at the helm of the company.  

 

We recently had a sensational Fino Sherry from this firm.  I had read a good review in a Spanish wine guide of this wine, so I bought a bottle.  

That's Chef Claudia Temby with a bottle of Sandeman Fino Sherry along with her absolutely outstanding little assortment of tapas.
Who knew Claudia could actually handle the cooking chores?  

Anyway, the Fino Sherry of Sandeman is currently exceptional.  The wine is, of course, lower in alcohol than most Sherry and just a couple of percent higher than many California Chardonnays.  Served chilled, the wine displays the classic yeasty aromas of the "flor" yeast.  After a night of tasting Puligny-Montrachet wines, this was really an interesting wine!  

Their current bottling of Oloroso Sherry is also very good.  It's dubbed "Royal Corregidor," a blend of old Sherry to be sure.  The youngest wine in the bottle is said to be 20 years of age!  It's toasty and smoky on the nose with caramelized notes and a very long finish.  Marvelous!

 

Currently in stock:  SANDEMAN FINO SHERRY  $13.99 (750ml)
SANDEMAN CORREGIDOR (Oloroso) $25.99 (500ml)

 

BODEGAS TORO ALBALÁ

Here's an amazing winery in the Montilla-Moriles region of Spain...think Cordoba and its hot, hot sun.

We have some "PX" (wine made from the Pedro Ximénez grape variety) of exceptional quality.

The "regular" bottling is quite sweet, while the 1975 vintage is thick and reminiscent of molasses.  

The PX grapes are picked at their peak, but then set in the sun to dry a bit, further concentrating the character and intensifying the sugar level. 


  After 10-15 days: 

The grapes are quite shriveled and sweet, so pressing any kind of liquid out of them takes a great deal of pressure.

They also offer minuscule quantities of old vintages of PX wines...if you're interested in those, please let me know.

We also have a "solera" bottling of PX called "Viejisimo."  This is actually a dry wine, bottled from a solera (stack of barrels) started in the 1920s.  We're told the wine is vinified to about 16% alcohol, but as it ages in barrel, with the evaporation of water, it clocks in at 21% alcohol!  In any case, it's a remarkable wine.

Currently in stock:  2002 DON PX $28.99 (750ml)
1979 DON PX $28.99 (375ml) in good supply presently...
VIEJISIMO $38.99 (750ml)





ROTLLAN  TORRA

From the famed Priorat region, home of amazingly big, sturdy reds, comes this unique Spanish dessert wine.  It's predominantly Muscat, but they blend in something like 10% Pedro Ximénez, too.  The fermentation is stopped when they add some high-proof to the tank, leaving a fair bit of sweetness in the wine.   

Catalonia has a tradition of making sweet wines and wines with that "rancio" (sort of a nutty character) quality.  This is along those lines.  There's a spice quality in this wine that is unique, though and quite different from most other Muscat wines.  

Currently in stock:  ROTLLAN TORRA "MOSCATELL"  $21.99 (500ml) (back in stock)

GONZALEZ BYASS

This large firm is noted for its range of products, from table wines to olive oils, vinegars, sparkling wine and, most of all, its Sherry.

Though they make some exceptional and well-aged Sherry wines, the flagship is their excellent Fino-styled Sherry called Tio Pepe.

Tio Pepe is found virtually all over Spain and most of Europe.  You can find some bottles in our shop, too, though this is not as widely available a product as one might expect.

Currently in stock:  TIO PEPE "Fino" SHERRY $14.99

VALDESPINO - ARGUESO (Cream of Cream Sherry)

For more than 25 years we had carried the Valdespino family's "Cream of Cream" Sherry bearing the "Argueso" name.  

A few years ago, the U.S. importer of this product stopped bringing in this lovely wine.  

They have always focused their efforts on a line of inexpensive Sherry called "Hartley & Gibson."  These are perfectly sound, decent bottles of Sherry.

Today the Hartley & Gibson label is sourced elsewhere and the "Pedro Ximeniz" wine which was so outstanding is somewhat less stellar.  It's a bit less costly, too, which may have been an influencing factor in their decision to not buy wine from Valdespino.

We have the simple Hartley & Gibson Sherry wines in the store.  

If you want a wine along the lines of the old Argueso, Cream of Cream, please have a look at either the Lustau PX Sherry or the "Don PX" of the Toro Albala brand.  These are both dark brown in color, nutty, sweet and show fragrances reminiscent of toffee and molasses.

Currently in stock:  Argueso Cream Sherry Sold Out
The importer is no longer stocking this wine.  Having been fans, all we can suggest is that you try a bottle of Lustau's "PX" or the Toro Albala "Don PX" wines.
HARTLEY & GIBSON Sherries are currently sale-priced at $8.99 per bottle.

 

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Last modified: April 22, 2008