12 yrs since discovering this gem and then acquiring a few 375’s I am sadly on my last one and it remains a terrific olfactory and palate parade of salty sec AF - not one molecule of sugar- caramel banana nut bread bakeshop. Wine Searcher completely dry for a refill - argh.
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Sunday Salon (Chicago, IL): From magnum. I have to wonder whether El Maestro Sierra is in fact my favourite sherry producer. This bottle was incredible. It's so lifted, elegant, and light, with just a hint of sotolon. Lots of salinity and freshness here, with vibrant acidity that makes this a dangerously easy sherry to drink. I could readily see this as a table wine, it's so light and lifted. Delicious.
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Bananas. This is paradigm great amontillado. The nose goes on forever with sea spray/shells, nuts, roasting coffee at peanut stage and cinchona. Rich and intense. What you imagine as platonic Sherry on palate. Long finish. I took 45 minutes to drink a glass.
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Drank this with sushi, one of the best pairings for sushi in my opinion. The fino must be drunk young, if it remains in the bottle too long it spoils (few months max ideally). It's then obviously a sherry but not excessively so, therefore great for people who appreciate subtle oxidation but not the full-blown sherry taste. Also great to drink on its own.
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Enjoyed @ Alinea's "in residence" dinner in Miami.
I am a sherry newcomer and don't have much to compare this to - but wow. hazelnut, caramel, salinity, tobacco, incredibly light, and super long finish.
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Complex nose of hazelnuts, caramel, blood orange, tobacco leaf, and toast. Ethereal on the palate. So much going on, but with the addition of saline and near weightlessness. The finish goes on 60 seconds+. An amazing wine and my top sherry experience to date.
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Are you kidding me with this thing? The aromas from this alone make this a 95 point experience. Everything you want in an amontillado (burnt caramel, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, glycerin, perhaps an orange, cocoa, cigar box, raciness) multiplied by 10. The finish is unending. Had this with coda alla vaccinara (braised oxtail); a hedonists dream.
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Absolutely spectacular sherry. Stunning aromatics, with all sorts of smoky, nutty, burnished and sweeter butterscotch-like fragrances leading into a palate that's incredibly saline and savoury with a combination of more oxidative nutty and smoky notes, and fresh citrus and fig fruit. There's a remarkable texture, it feels glossy and very polished on the palate, and the finish just keeps going. A wow wine for me.
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Fantastically rich and complex, 96 point nose was followed by a limpid, thin, short, empty 80 point palate. Inexplicable. Perhaps my bottle was not the same as others' here. I'll refrain from giving a score.
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med- burnt orange; med+, d.o., caramel, candied orange, salt, walnut and walnut skins; dry, med acid, full body/high alcohol, med+ intensity, long finish, smoky, almonds, orange, salt, roasted walnuts, flor; outstanding- rich and silky, round and full, still fresh, some time after opening really let's this sing
A masterpiece. A wine which gives you a pleasure hard to describe. Mahogany slightly blurry colour. Extremely intense on the nose, almonds, wooden notes, creaminess, toffee, varnishes, full of complexity. Spectacular. On the palate everythings continues: walnuts, sweet almonds, creamy background, toasted notes, reminds of biological sherry aromas, sharp, soft and elegant, extraordinary finish. A perfect example of why these kind of wines are so magical. I recommend to drink it slowly by sip, enjoying all its complexitiy.
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From the wine by the glass list at Dovetail in NYC - Deep caramel color - as dark in fact as the Oloroso 1/14 from same maker; super deep clean complex aromas of yeast and salinity; bone dry; this is a stand alone sip and enjoy over the long haul as say a madeira type wine. Impressive stuff - I'm leaving a couple of points on the table in case I'm lucky enough to stumble upon a similarly styled aged (VORS = >50 yrs of aging in solera-- I assume the blend is at a minimum from 50 yr old stock) sherry that does it better; though that would be hard to imagine.
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Clear honey carmel. Lightly volatile nose of pecans, burnt sugar and salt. Pillowy palate of warm roasted stone fruit, with a salty buttery edge. The finish is intensely savory, slightly sweet, toast and charred nuts. A mild streak of acid runs throughout, miles from any fino. Sophisticated dessert which carries its fortification quite well.
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Really fine amontillado with great depth and just super zingy on the palate. Salty caramel, saline and fresh- this just pumps out everything you could want. This producer seems to take jerez to another level for me, every wine I have had from them just hits me in the right spot.
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375ml, 19% Bottle number 505. This is a deep, teak-tinged orange-gold colour. Lovely nose: salted almonds and orange caramel with some slight gingery notes. Wow! On the palate, it’s very clear and bright and very focussed indeed. Very smooth, there’s an initial feel of sweetness, but it reveals itself moments later as thoroughly dry and with a nice hint of acidity on the finish, lingering long after. This is a particularly refined cherry with none of the alcohol having any presence whatsoever.
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Bottle 83-99. Viuda de Antonio Borrego. Lively amber; deep and concentrated, light notes of lovely ripe fruit, hints of the saltiness of extremely old Amontillado; bone dry, powerful structure, tangy acidity, austerity balanced by natural glycerin, flavours of walnuts and hazelnuts, salty; fabulous length. Amazing amontillado.
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9/12/2023 - Tgood wrote: 98 Points
12 yrs since discovering this gem and then acquiring a few 375’s I am sadly on my last one and it remains a terrific olfactory and palate parade of salty sec AF - not one molecule of sugar- caramel banana nut bread bakeshop.
Wine Searcher completely dry for a refill - argh.
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10/16/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Sunday Salon (Chicago, IL): From magnum. I have to wonder whether El Maestro Sierra is in fact my favourite sherry producer. This bottle was incredible. It's so lifted, elegant, and light, with just a hint of sotolon. Lots of salinity and freshness here, with vibrant acidity that makes this a dangerously easy sherry to drink. I could readily see this as a table wine, it's so light and lifted. Delicious.
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5/15/2022 - AndrewSGHall wrote: 97 Points
(2021 bottling)
Bananas. This is paradigm great amontillado. The nose goes on forever with sea spray/shells, nuts, roasting coffee at peanut stage and cinchona. Rich and intense. What you imagine as platonic Sherry on palate. Long finish. I took 45 minutes to drink a glass.
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5/30/2018 - jjwleiden wrote:
Drank this with sushi, one of the best pairings for sushi in my opinion. The fino must be drunk young, if it remains in the bottle too long it spoils (few months max ideally). It's then obviously a sherry but not excessively so, therefore great for people who appreciate subtle oxidation but not the full-blown sherry taste. Also great to drink on its own.
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2/28/2016 - Jeffkunins wrote: 95 Points
Enjoyed @ Alinea's "in residence" dinner in Miami.
I am a sherry newcomer and don't have much to compare this to - but wow. hazelnut, caramel, salinity, tobacco, incredibly light, and super long finish.
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5/24/2015 - vinosean Likes this wine: 96 Points
Complex nose of hazelnuts, caramel, blood orange, tobacco leaf, and toast. Ethereal on the palate. So much going on, but with the addition of saline and near weightlessness. The finish goes on 60 seconds+. An amazing wine and my top sherry experience to date.
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12/26/2014 - ElGreco Likes this wine: 97 Points
Are you kidding me with this thing? The aromas from this alone make this a 95 point experience. Everything you want in an amontillado (burnt caramel, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, glycerin, perhaps an orange, cocoa, cigar box, raciness) multiplied by 10. The finish is unending. Had this with coda alla vaccinara (braised oxtail); a hedonists dream.
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3/22/2014 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely spectacular sherry. Stunning aromatics, with all sorts of smoky, nutty, burnished and sweeter butterscotch-like fragrances leading into a palate that's incredibly saline and savoury with a combination of more oxidative nutty and smoky notes, and fresh citrus and fig fruit. There's a remarkable texture, it feels glossy and very polished on the palate, and the finish just keeps going. A wow wine for me.
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5/28/2013 - Wamrod wrote:
Fantastically rich and complex, 96 point nose was followed by a limpid, thin, short, empty 80 point palate. Inexplicable. Perhaps my bottle was not the same as others' here. I'll refrain from giving a score.
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12/12/2012 - Obalde wrote:
med- burnt orange; med+, d.o., caramel, candied orange, salt, walnut and walnut skins; dry, med acid, full body/high alcohol, med+ intensity, long finish, smoky, almonds, orange, salt, roasted walnuts, flor; outstanding- rich and silky, round and full, still fresh, some time after opening really let's this sing
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10/23/2012 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Grand Sichuan NYC (quick notes): toasted almond, salinity, savory; very vibrant and fresh
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10/22/2012 - yofog wrote: 95 Points
A huge wine that simply explodes on the palate, with fascinating bitter almond and herbal notes
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2/22/2012 - garagar wrote: 94 Points
A masterpiece. A wine which gives you a pleasure hard to describe. Mahogany slightly blurry colour. Extremely intense on the nose, almonds, wooden notes, creaminess, toffee, varnishes, full of complexity. Spectacular. On the palate everythings continues: walnuts, sweet almonds, creamy background, toasted notes, reminds of biological sherry aromas, sharp, soft and elegant, extraordinary finish. A perfect example of why these kind of wines are so magical. I recommend to drink it slowly by sip, enjoying all its complexitiy.
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10/13/2011 - Tgood wrote: 98 Points
From the wine by the glass list at Dovetail in NYC - Deep caramel color - as dark in fact as the Oloroso 1/14 from same maker; super deep clean complex aromas of yeast and salinity; bone dry; this is a stand alone sip and enjoy over the long haul as say a madeira type wine. Impressive stuff - I'm leaving a couple of points on the table in case I'm lucky enough to stumble upon a similarly styled aged (VORS = >50 yrs of aging in solera-- I assume the blend is at a minimum from 50 yr old stock) sherry that does it better; though that would be hard to imagine.
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5/23/2011 - SteveG wrote: 92 Points
Clear honey carmel. Lightly volatile nose of pecans, burnt sugar and salt. Pillowy palate of warm roasted stone fruit, with a salty buttery edge. The finish is intensely savory, slightly sweet, toast and charred nuts. A mild streak of acid runs throughout, miles from any fino. Sophisticated dessert which carries its fortification quite well.
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8/13/2008 - nwk wrote:
Really fine amontillado with great depth and just super zingy on the palate. Salty caramel, saline and fresh- this just pumps out everything you could want. This producer seems to take jerez to another level for me, every wine I have had from them just hits me in the right spot.
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4/8/2007 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 93 Points
375ml, 19%
Bottle number 505. This is a deep, teak-tinged orange-gold colour. Lovely nose: salted almonds and orange caramel with some slight gingery notes. Wow! On the palate, it’s very clear and bright and very focussed indeed. Very smooth, there’s an initial feel of sweetness, but it reveals itself moments later as thoroughly dry and with a nice hint of acidity on the finish, lingering long after. This is a particularly refined cherry with none of the alcohol having any presence whatsoever.
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10/27/2000 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 96 Points
Bottle 83-99. Viuda de Antonio Borrego. Lively amber; deep and concentrated, light notes of lovely ripe fruit, hints of the saltiness of extremely old Amontillado; bone dry, powerful structure, tangy acidity, austerity balanced by natural glycerin, flavours of walnuts and hazelnuts, salty; fabulous length. Amazing amontillado.
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