Tonight I met for a brief dinner with a good friend of mine. It was a dinner of uncommon extravagance. We had a chunk of beef covered in herbs (tarragon largely - I like that with Riojas for some reason) for dinner.
Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva Selección Especial 1982 12,5% c.56€
The core is a healthy, deep red; the rim has some orange - nice colour for the age. The nose is quite lovely with lots of ripe, bright and red toned fruit. Like the (much too few) other mature Riojas I've had, there is a magical citrussy scent to it that reminds me of kumquat. It has a slight touch of very fresh fish - something I've noticed with a few other older Riojas and which is a delightful scent IMO! The palate has resolved structure, still vibrant fruit, enough acidity to keep it together and is savoury despite the sweet fruit. Very moreish. What a lovely wine and the food was really quite an ideal pairing for it.
With a few chunks of cheese (Kuttu-Ville, Stilton, Beira Baixa) we had a small sip of a Sherry I've been dying to try for ages.
Osborne Rare Sherry Palo Cortado Solera PAP 22% 139,90€
What does the P delta P mean on the lable?
A horrible price, but I managed to get a group of 9 people to share the wine and costs, so it was managable though pours were small. Brown with a slight greenness to it. The nose was delightfully rancioed, with a raisiny touch that promises a bit of sweetness on the palate (is there a touch of PX in this?), nutty and lifted and chalky and very complex. The palate is indeed sweetish, with lovely freshness and lift. It is incredibly intense yet elegant at the same time. The aftertaste lives forever. A stunning wine. Though Palo Cortado seems most to my taste when dry, this (and Gonzales-Byass's Apostoles to some degree also) proves that even a sweet one can be extraordinary. This is one of the rare times that I probably would buy a bottle this expensive if I had the money.
-O-
