Valdespino Amontillado Tio Diego pago de Macharnudo 18% 75cl

Enormously complex with fresh notes of bread dough and Brasil nuts intertwined with leather, dried orange and caramel - Very versatile with food: a classic pairing for game birds but also works beautifully with cured tuna and soft or blue cheeses.

The Palamino for this single-vineyard Amontillado was grown on the white albariza soils of Pago de Macharnudo, rich in gypsum, silica and clay, making it ideal for retaining water during the blisteringly hot Jerez summers. This, along with it's south-eastern aspect, high altitude and moderate incline makes this vineyard one of the finest sites in Jerez.

Once harvested, the grapes are gently pressed and the must fermented in 600L American oak barrels. The barrels are only partially filled, allowing the fermentation temperature to be moderated by the addition of cold must. The wine is fermented to dryness then fortified to 15% abv. The wine is aged for a year during which time a layer of yeast (flor) develops on the surface of the wine, begining the process of biological ageing.

After this time, the wine is added to the Tio Diego solera for 8-10 years of further biological ageing and fractional blending. During this time, water gradually evaporates from the casks of the solera, causing the abv. of the wine to rise from 15% to 18%, eventually killing the flor yeast without the need to further fortify the wine. Without the flor to protect from oxygen, the wine begins to age oxiditavely. By the time the sherry is eventually bottled, it has an average age of 20 years.