De Muller Aureo 1954 Dulce

De Muller Aureo 1954 Dulce is a sweet rancio wine from De Muller, a Catalan house established in 1851. It is made from Macabeo and Garnacha Blanca and carries the 1954 vintage marker, a wine of considerable age. The defining process here is rancio ageing: the wine is held for long periods in cask through the criaderas and soleras system, exposed to oxygen and to the warmth of the cellar, which slowly oxidises it and develops the deep, dried and nutty character that gives the style its name. Over the years the wine concentrates as it ages, the colour deepening to amber with coppery highlights and the fruit turning from fresh to dried and stewed. The nose is complex, with plum, dried fig, caramel and a sweet, nutty depth alongside hints of walnut and toffee. On the palate it is luscious and concentrated, sweet but balanced by the savoury, slightly bitter edge that long oxidation brings, finishing long. This is an old-style sweet wine for slow sipping rather than the dessert trolley. Serve at cool room temperature, around 14 to 16 degrees, in a small glass. It suits dark chocolate, walnut and caramel desserts, and aged hard cheese.