(non-blind - my wine) Medium gold color. Nose is oxidative - hint of Martinelli's apple cider, or the apple juices that come in a spherical glass bottle. Dry, medium body, mineral, slightly waxy. Hint of savory umami and leather. Medium plus acid, clean finish - very light phenolics. Medium plus finish - dusty carrot and dried yellow-brown apple. It's nice! Mineral / stony and earthy.
(blind) Medium amber. Sharp dusty curried dried carrot note (flor). Feels around 15% alcohol. Warm, dry, saline, crisp. Very nice. Slight undercurrent of yellow and browned apples, but not much.
Guess: Aged under Flor, a Fino or Manzanilla, with a bit of age (not quite fresh). I'm guessing generic Fino, 1.5 years since bottling.
Actually: Tio Pepe palomino fino.... bottled 10 years ago.
(blind) Medium concentration dark-hued mahogany. Oxidative nose - smells more like a madeira. Lighter and less acidic than a madeira. Feels around 20 g/L, (but probably 80-100+). 18% alcohol (actually 17%). Medium plus acid. Cream Sherry (usually made with Oloroso blended with PX)
Actual: Osborne cream sherry. Been open for a few months.
(blind) Medium plus concentration mahogany hue. Aromatic nose - walnut skin, perfumed ethyl acetate, slight spiced carrot / curry flor presence. 18% alcohol, dry, slight flor and slight oxidation - not very oxidized. Medium minus body - lower glycerol.
Flor plus some oxidation... Palo Cortado or Amontillado? Since I'm not sure what really constitutes Palo Cortado, I'm guessing this is:
Amontillado, good quality. Actual: Tio Diego Amontillado
(blind) Deep amber. Aromatic - slightly oxidative and perfumed VA. Dry, 18% alcohol (actually 20.5%), good depth of flavor and a hint of oxidation but has some flor notes. Zippy finish with good acid.
Either a heavy amontillado or palo cortado.
Final guess: Palo Cortado. Actual: Equipo Navazos palo cortado 72 pata de gallina. Analysis: interesting in-between style. It's clear!
(blind) Medium straw-gold (fino color). Flor and high-toned almost petrol-like apple core. Floral! Honeysuckle. Lemon oil. Very light, 15% alcohol, hint of bruised apple with notable Flor. Given the color, I think this is a fino with some time open in the bottle, or bottled over a year ago.
Called: Fino, good quality, fresh but open for a while. Actual: Fino en rama (rough filtered). En Rama.... so it explains the slight added weight / oil.
(blind) Medium-deep amber. Oxidative and perfumed pecan skin nose. Dry, 20% alcohol, deep and rich and full-bodied. Lovely Oloroso. High quality. I'd guess oloroso, but tasting it more... it has some salty-curry flor.
Medium concentraiton, dark hued mahogany. On the nose, hint of flor, a whiff of umami (duck skin and soy?) and a hint of oxidation. Rich, around 20% alcohol, feels like 10-15g RS but functionally dry given the alcohol and acid. Rich and deep and sweet almondy nutty date-like notes. Medjool date skin. Almost phenolic - bitter and hints of tannins on the finish (though it might just be a high-alcohol drying finish).
I thought there might be flor, but re-tasting, it seems purely in the oxidative flavor spectrum. Actually: 30-year-old VORS osborne Oloroso.
2013 Fekete Pince Hárslevelű Nagy-Somló 87 Points
Hungary, Balaton, Nagy-Somló
(non-blind - my wine)
Medium gold color.
Nose is oxidative - hint of Martinelli's apple cider, or the apple juices that come in a spherical glass bottle.
Dry, medium body, mineral, slightly waxy. Hint of savory umami and leather. Medium plus acid, clean finish - very light phenolics.
Medium plus finish - dusty carrot and dried yellow-brown apple.
It's nice! Mineral / stony and earthy.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Gonzalez-Byass Palomino Fino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Tío Pepe (Muy Seco-Extra Dry) 86 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Medium amber. Sharp dusty curried dried carrot note (flor). Feels around 15% alcohol. Warm, dry, saline, crisp. Very nice. Slight undercurrent of yellow and browned apples, but not much.
Guess: Aged under Flor, a Fino or Manzanilla, with a bit of age (not quite fresh). I'm guessing generic Fino, 1.5 years since bottling.
Actually: Tio Pepe palomino fino.... bottled 10 years ago.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Osborne Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Cream 85 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Medium concentration dark-hued mahogany. Oxidative nose - smells more like a madeira. Lighter and less acidic than a madeira. Feels around 20 g/L, (but probably 80-100+). 18% alcohol (actually 17%). Medium plus acid.
Cream Sherry (usually made with Oloroso blended with PX)
Actual: Osborne cream sherry. Been open for a few months.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Emilio Lustau (Almacenista) Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Oloroso "Pata de Gallina" Juan Garcia Jarana 90 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Dark mahogony. Waxy, aromatic, oxidative, perfumed ethyl acetate on the nose. Pecan oil.
19% (actually 20%) Dry, super flavorful almost caramelized pecan. Browned butter pecan. Skin of the nut. Strong and lingering acid.
Dry Oloroso. Very nice. Great quality. Phenomenal midpalate.
Actual: Lustau almacenista oloroso pata de gallina
Analysis: excellent quality.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Delgado Zuleta Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda Fino 87 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda
(blind)
Medium straw-gold. Fino color.
Higher-toned slight flor - not very flor heavy, and some apple-core / raw apple character.
Guess: Fino, 15%, lower quality (not a lot of flor character). Kinda simple, but super fresh.
Actual: Bodegas Zuleta Fino
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Valdespino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Amontillado Tio Diego 87 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Medium plus concentration mahogany hue.
Aromatic nose - walnut skin, perfumed ethyl acetate, slight spiced carrot / curry flor presence.
18% alcohol, dry, slight flor and slight oxidation - not very oxidized. Medium minus body - lower glycerol.
Flor plus some oxidation... Palo Cortado or Amontillado?
Since I'm not sure what really constitutes Palo Cortado, I'm guessing this is:
Amontillado, good quality.
Actual: Tio Diego Amontillado
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Equipo Navazos La Bota de Palo Cortado 72 "Pata de Gallina" 87 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Deep amber.
Aromatic - slightly oxidative and perfumed VA.
Dry, 18% alcohol (actually 20.5%), good depth of flavor and a hint of oxidation but has some flor notes. Zippy finish with good acid.
Either a heavy amontillado or palo cortado.
Final guess: Palo Cortado.
Actual: Equipo Navazos palo cortado 72 pata de gallina.
Analysis: interesting in-between style. It's clear!
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Equipo Navazos Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino En Rama Saca of June, 2018 87 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Medium straw-gold (fino color).
Flor and high-toned almost petrol-like apple core. Floral! Honeysuckle. Lemon oil.
Very light, 15% alcohol, hint of bruised apple with notable Flor. Given the color, I think this is a fino with some time open in the bottle, or bottled over a year ago.
Called: Fino, good quality, fresh but open for a while.
Actual: Fino en rama (rough filtered). En Rama.... so it explains the slight added weight / oil.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Osborne Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Capuchino 30 Year Old Palo Cortado VORS 88 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Medium-deep amber. Oxidative and perfumed pecan skin nose.
Dry, 20% alcohol, deep and rich and full-bodied. Lovely Oloroso. High quality.
I'd guess oloroso, but tasting it more... it has some salty-curry flor.
Actually VORS Palo Cortado Capuchino
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
NV Osborne Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Sibarita 30 Year Old Oloroso VORS 88 Points
Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
(blind)
Medium concentraiton, dark hued mahogany. On the nose, hint of flor, a whiff of umami (duck skin and soy?) and a hint of oxidation.
Rich, around 20% alcohol, feels like 10-15g RS but functionally dry given the alcohol and acid. Rich and deep and sweet almondy nutty date-like notes. Medjool date skin. Almost phenolic - bitter and hints of tannins on the finish (though it might just be a high-alcohol drying finish).
I thought there might be flor, but re-tasting, it seems purely in the oxidative flavor spectrum.
Actually: 30-year-old VORS osborne Oloroso.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue