Valdespino Medium Dry Amontillado Contrabandista
A semi-dry White fortified wine with rich notes of roasted hazelnuts, dates, and toffee, offering a smooth finish
Valdespino Classic Collection, Medium Dry Amontillado `Contrabandista` from Jerez DO, Spain, is a White (amber-hued) fortified semi-dry wine crafted from Palomino and Pedro Ximénez grapes. Fermented in American oak barrels and aged through a solera system, first biologically under flor and then oxidatively, it offers intense aromas of roasted hazelnuts, raisins, dates, butterscotch, and toffee. This medium-bodied wine boasts a perfectly balanced sweetness and a long, smooth finish, pairing wonderfully with cured meats and mature cheeses.
75.0CL , 18.0% ABV , Vintage:
Vinification
The Palomino is fermented to dryness in 600-litre American oak barrels and then fortified to 15%. The barrels are only partially filled and this allows a thick veil of 'flor' (yeast) to develop on the wine's surface, protecting it from oxygen. The young wine, known as the 'sobretabla', is then fed into the 'Inocente' solera system where it ages biologically under the 'flor' and is fractionally blended through the different criadera levels. It is then further fortified to 18%, the flor layer breaks down and it ages oxidatively in the solera system of the Amontillado ‘Tio Diego'. Finally, a proportion of lusciously sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry is blended into the rich Amontillado, producing a medium dry sherry with an average age of over 14 years.
Flavour profile
This medium dry Amontillado sherry presents a light mahogany colour with a bright amber border. It offers intense aromas of roasted hazelnuts, raisins, and dates, complemented by notes of butterscotch and toffee. The wine is medium-bodied with a perfectly balanced sweetness and a long, smooth finish.
Serving recommendation
Serve slightly chilled at 12-14°C. No decanting required.