Tasted 24th May 2011


Argüeso San León Manzanilla Sherry 10.99
Buyer’s Highlight - Regarded as one of Sanlúcar’s very best Manzanillas.
100% Palomino Fino grown in the Herederos de Argüeso vineyard on classic albariza soils. Grapes were mechanically-harvested in midlate
Sept and fermented at 25°C. Racked from the solids and stored until November/December when the new wine was fortified to 15%
alcohol and decanted to 100 - 250-year-old 500l American oak casks. After 6 months, assessed and passed to the Manzanilla criaderas
and soleras. Alc 15.0%, TA 4.2g/l, RS 3.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 20 branches.
Wonderful aroma. Just as the tasting ends, ~I’m lifted up by the salty but floral aroma of this lovely wine. Floral taste but bone dry and salty. Not so much Marmite. More like ordinary dry wine, but so much better.

Waitrose Amontillado Sherry 6.49
100% Palomino in a new blend from Sanchez Romate, an independent, family-owned sherry house based in Jerez de la Frontera with
vineyards in the Balbaina district. The grapes produce a natural strength of approx. 12% alcohol. Following vinification at 22 - 24°C the
wine was fortified with grape spirit to a maximum of 15%. Aged under flor as a fino through the criaderas of a Fino solera. Subsequently
further fortified with grape spirit to approx. 18% and introduced to an Amontillado solera where it underwent an oxidative ageing process.
Then slightly sweetened by blending with natural sweet wines and concentrated grape must. Aged in American oak sherry casks and has
an average age of 5 years. Alc 18.5%, TA 4.75g/l, pH 3.45, RS 42.5g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 207 branches.
42 grms of RS – oh dear! Second rate and commercial. No vibrancy, little beauty.

Offley Rosé Port 9.99
40% Touriga Franca, 40% Tinta Barocca, and 20% Touriga Nacional grapes using the traditional winemaking method reserved for rosé
wines. Hand-picked red grapes were destemmed, crushed and pressed immediately to avoid prolonged contact with the skins to make
a rose-coloured must. Gently settled then cold-fermented until fermentation was stopped by the addition of distilled wine alcohol or
brandy. Alc 19.5%, TA 3.52g/l, pH 3.5, RS 105.5g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 26 branches.
Cherry cough medicine nose. It’s exactly as you’d expect. Fiery, sweet and cherry-flavoured.

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