Fernando de Castilla Classic Amontillado

Rey Fernando de Castilla, in the centre of Jerez de la Frontera in Cadiz, bottles its younger fortified wines under the Classic range. This Amontillado is made from Palomino grown on the albariza chalk soils of the Marco de Jerez, where the limestone stores winter rain and reflects light to ripen the grapes evenly. The must is extracted at around 15 degrees for biological ageing under a cap of flor yeast, which shields the wine from oxygen and gives a fresh, saline character, before the veil fades and oxidative ageing takes over. This dual ageing is what defines an Amontillado, combining the saltiness of flor wines with the deeper colour and nuttiness that air exposure brings, as ethanol slowly converts to acetaldehyde. The colour is mahogany with coppery reflections, clean and bright. The nose is fine and complex, with dry fruit aromas of hazelnut and almond. The palate is silky and embracing, dry and full bodied, with salty undertones and a long finish. Serve at around 13 to 14 degrees in a white wine glass. It works with roast poultry, shellfish and hard nutty cheese.