Bodegas El Maestro Sierra, Oloroso Sherry, NV

Dried Fig, Nutty, Coffee

Spain / Fortified, Sherry / Palomino / Sustainable

Old barrels are partially filled with base wine and fortified up to 18% to prevent the development of the film-forming yeasts. The is then matured for fifteen years in a solera system of 500 litre American oak barrels after which the wine is bottled unfiltered, undergoing just some gentle cold stabilisation. Oloroso means “very aromatic”. Dry, rich and delicious.

Notes on the producer

These are wines made in super old barrels, moved using manual siphoning, settled by time, bottled unfiltered and unsulphured. The labels feature a fox being chased by a hunt, which Ana from the bodega says represents Maestro Sierra being chased by the larger sherry houses. Some of their practices (and the resulting wines) sit outside the normal rules for sherry, but the Consejo Regulador recognises the unique nature of the wines and grants them exceptions. The classic range of Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Amoroso, and PX are all incredibly good.