Lustau Amontillado del Castillo 50 cl

This has an amazing tertiary, woody bouquet, which makes you sit up and take notice. It's rich, malty, meaty and nutty with an amazing depth, iodine intensity, smooth texture and a well-judged snip of sweetness. Elegant and long. Just beautiful with ticks in every box!

Some fresh-treacle and spun-sugar aromas with orange rind and a sweet, toasty and woody edge. This is quite fresh and elegant, delivering some fleshy width and depth and a dry, smooth and long, nutty finish. Drink now.

Pioneers with their "almacenista" range, which gives credit on the label to the people that aged some of the wines they bottle, Lustau's NV Amontillado del Castillo Almacenista Antonio Caballero y Sobrinos is one in a large list of these unique bottlings. It has a very distinct and acute note of toffee and caramel that is a little unusual (they talk about hazelnut praline in their documentation), and made me think of a Palo Cortado. The fat that it has a higher alcoholic degree also speaks to concentration and age, even if the wine comes from a solera of 38 casks averaging 18 years of age that mature in El Puerto de Santa María. A different Amontillado with a strong personality.