Toro Albalá Poley Oloroso en Rama Solera 15 Años

Toro de Albalá was founded in 1922 by José María Toro Albalá, a Córdoba farmer who began preserving aged wines that proved exceptional. The winery in Montilla-Moriles is best known for its sweet Pedro Ximénez, but this Poley Oloroso en Rama is dry, drawn unfiltered from the solera with an average of fifteen years in cask. It is made from Pedro Ximénez grown on albero chalk under the hot inland sun, fortified to around 17.5 percent and aged oxidatively, since at that strength the flor yeast cannot form. Years of slow air contact convert ethanol into acetaldehyde and concentrate the wine through evaporation, building the colour, the dried fruit and the nutty, savoury depth of an Oloroso, while the criaderas and soleras keep the style consistent across drawings. It pours deep amber, with a strong nose of walnut and other dried nuts, toasted nuances and a faint orange edge. The palate is dry, weighty and savoury, with roasted nuts and a long saline finish. Serve lightly chilled at around 13 to 14 degrees in a white wine glass. It suits hard cheeses, mushrooms and roast poultry.