Last night I took part in a Sherry tweet up with six amazing wines. All the participants had been sent samples to taste, and we hung out and discussed them. It was organized by Ruben of the excellent Sherry Notes. These are the wines: the notes speak for themselves.

Bodegas Yuste La Kika Manzanilla Pasada
Around 10 years old, only available in Spain. Complex and nutty with ripe apples, pears, some spice and a mellow, rounded mouthfeel. Elegant, detailed and with a long nutty, salty finish, this is a bright, fresh Manzanilla with lovely elegance. It’s just so smooth, textured and fine, with amazing finesse. 93/100

Lustau Yodo Fino En Rama For Aponiente
A Fino del Puerto specially created for the restaurant Aponiente. Distinctive nose is meaty, saline and complex, with apple, seaweed and cheese rind notes. The palate is complex, mineral and spicy with a cheesy, salty edge to the tangy citrus and apple fruit. This is so distinctive, and has a broad, salty finish with a touch of apricot adding interest. It’s a fascinating, edgy wine of real interest. 94/100

Delgado Zueleta Quo Vadis Amontillado
A one-off bottling of a 50 year old wine. Incredibly complex nose of old furniture and spices, with citrus peel and nuts. The palate is so energised with high acidity under the tar, herb, spice and citrus characters. It’s mellow and nutty with a savoury, cedary edge and a slight fudge sweetness. Not heavy at all, but rather complex, intense and fresh. This seems incredibly complex and old, and it has a fabulous delicacy to it. Remarkable and memorable: very old Sherries like this can sometimes develop off notes – this is just thrilling and linear and correct. It’s hard to imagine a better Sherry than this. 97/100

Callejuela El Cerro Oloroso
This is just beautiful. There’s lovely date and plum fruitiness, with some sweet cedar/furniture notes. Complex hazelnut and almond characters mesh well with the tangerine/orange peel fruity notes. There’s a perception of sweetness here, with a mellow core to it. The balance is just perfect. 96/100

Valdespino Cardenal Palo Cortado VORS
Around 50 years old, from the solera of the Palo Cortado Viejo CP. Rich and intense with bold, spicy, raisiny, cedary characters. It has amazing aromatic complexity with sandalwood and old cabinets, as well as a hint of raisin and some porcini mushroom. The palate is broad, rich and intense with a savoury, grippy earthy edge and dusty spiciness. Amazing complexity to this wine, with so many layers of flavour, and a dry, dusty, tangy finish, with some orange peel and leather notes lingering on. 97/100

Ximénez-Spinola Old Harvest PX
A mix of dry PX (effectively an Oloroso from Pedro Ximénez grapes) from a 1964 solera, sweetened with a bit of PX from a 1918 solera This is quite something. It has an open nose of raisins, fresh grapes and herbs, with some nuts and spice. The palate has sweetness, with some bergamot and green tea notes as well as a hint of barley sugar. Fine, expressive and off-dry, it’s quite an unusual sherry with real appeal. 93/100

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