Málaga Virgen

Malaga Virgen comes from the Virgen winery, founded in 1885 at Fuentes de Piedra in the Malaga region. It is made entirely from Pedro Ximenez, with the fruit drawn from a farm at Vista Hermosa. The grapes are concentrated to build the sweetness that defines the Malaga style, and the wine then spends twenty-four months in American oak casks. American oak gives a softer, sweeter vanilla and coconut influence than French, and the two years of cask ageing develop the caramel and toasted character while rounding the texture. The colour is dark mahogany with amber highlights. The nose is medium to high in intensity, with caramel, chocolate and a liqueur-like richness over a clear pastry note. The palate is full bodied, sugary and tasty, but carried by a good vein of acidity that keeps the finish pleasant and lingering rather than heavy. That balance of sweetness and acidity is what gives the wine its length. Serve lightly chilled in a small glass after dinner.