More than 70 sweet and strong wines here for our seasonal delectation. An array of great sherries first, then a wide variety of sweet wines of many different strengths, and finally some ports. A collection of tasting notes on mouthwatering madeiras will follow next month.
Within each group, the wines are listed in order of descending score.
SHERRY
Young wine from the 2010 vintage but it may well be refreshed in...
Deep gold. Really tangy and with wonderful depth. Bone dry and...
Best dry fortified, Wines From Spain Awards 2014.
Toasted nuts...
Bottled Oct 2013 from Perez Barquero. PX not Palomino and...
Saca of March 2014. Not yet on sale in the UK yet but should be...
Much more convincing than their Fino: complex, rich, nutty...
Raisins, roasted nuts, prunes. Potent, concentrated, chewy. Very...
Average 20 years old. Pale orange. Toffee nose with a strong...
Pale yellow tawny. Very clean and fresh. Super pure. Nutty...
Best own label fortified, Wines From Spain Awards 2014.
Salty...
Minty, saline, herbal, fennel, rich and broad and fungal. Really...
Chunky, dense, saline. Loaded with dried, figgy fruit. Thick...
Viscous, thick, salty, almost searing. Impressive but...
From the cask on the end. Pale greenish tawny. Sweetish hint on...
Saline, iodine and dried nuts – very serious and boldly...
Saca of October, 2010. Deep coppery colour. Lots of evolution –...
Saca of October, 2014. Just arrived. Latest release of something...
Pedro Ximénez from Perez Barquero. Maybe 25-30 years. Deep...
Milder than their Amontillado, but no less complex – nutty...
Gentle, layered textured, chewy. Subtle but not thin. (RH)
This is from a cask you’re not allowed in – with padlock! Comes...
Nutty, doughy, raisined with some charry, smoky character. A...
Pure apple fruit, gentle palate, soft and easy drinking...
Delicate, spicy, soft, rounded. Good, classically styled stuff....
Best dry fortified, Wines From Spain Awards 2014.
Classic...
Dry, smooth, quite tart. Pretty dilute – somewhat unsatisfying...
Organic. Elegant tall bottle and attractive pale orange colour...
Pretty one-dimensional palate, brief finish. (RH)
Somewhat subdued nose: bitter, sour, almost citric. Has an...
Subtle, floral, semi-sour. Perfectly nice if a little simple....
Compact, bready, a little salty, fine and refreshing – but a tad...
Rich, thick, demerara sugar, milky coffee and caramel. All sugar...
Rich and scented but also TCA tainted, it seems. Dirty barrels...
SWEET
White currant, leafy, lots of character on the nose already! (JR...
Honey, marmalade, lemon juice. Sumptuous, indulgent, exotic and...
Deep orange tawny. Apricot syrup. (JR)
Not much Gewurztraminer aromatic identity on the nose. Mint...
Sun-dried Moscatel de Alexandria, six months in French oak. Deep...
Racy with definite botrytis. Spritz. Very fresh and light. Very...
Late harvest. Marmalade, lime curd, caramelised nuts and a...
Petrol and oil – the very picture of mature Riesling, and seems...
RS 200 g/l, approximately.Rich gold. Minty, marmalade, ginger...
Pale gold. Intense and inviting aroma of very ripe apricots plus...
Golden orange colour. Unusual nose: chamomile, hay and apricots...
Bergerac blend of botrytised Muscadelle, Sémillon and Sauvignon...
Deep gold. Aromas of stewed – reduced to intensity – apricot...
Lots of fun, almond essence and freshness. I think any household...
100% Merlot. First vintage 2009. They wanted to make a wine that...
Pale orange and relatively low in acidity but with lots of depth...
Deep purple-crimson. Perfumed and rich. Wild dark berries and...
Pale strawberry red. Heady raspberry pop on the nose. Almost...
Not 100% clean and fresh but with great sweet apricot compote...
'Muffa nobile' means noble rot. The Calcaia vineyard has a...
Honeyed apricots. Rich, juicy, sweet and finely balanced. There...
Semillon and Gewurz blend. Much, much richer and more convincing...
Picked at -7 ° C. RS 210 g/l. Rich and sweet but a bit thick and...
Pale gold. Toasty, floral, Very sweet but not very deep...
100% Moscato Bianco. 12 months in stainless steel. TA 5.6 g/l...
Golden, scented with barley sugar and almond paste. Fat on the...
Screwcapped half bottle. Rather tired nose and watery on the...
Best sweet wine, Wines From Spain Awards 2014.
Not hugely sweet...
Light and crisp and floral. Lacks intensity. Just (quite) sweet...
A blend of Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz. Matured in a solera.
...
Quite luscious and almondy but still a little astringent. Baked...
Not much nose but fabulous balance of tang, acidity and...
PORT
Pretty sweet, rosy tawny colour with more depth than Graham's...
Frosted bottle. Vegy, savoury, not that sweet and refined. Lots...
Seems a little raw after three 20 Year Old Tawnys! But correct...
Squat bottle. Nutty and very sweet. Tart and lively and fresh...
Bricky colour. Spirity on the nose. Full of lovely tawny...
