From bone-dry fino Sherry to rich LBV Port and luscious liqueur Muscat, fortified wines offer something for everyone, reports Patricia Stefanowicz MW. The annual Global Fortified Masters is a fascinating event, as while these wines draw on traditional, long-standing techniques, they are far from old-fashioned. The quality of wines we judged was outstanding at a variety of price points, reflected by the number of Gold and Master medals awarded. We started with vermouth, much of it in standard, ‘industrial’ styles from northern Italy, but there are some wonderful artisanal versions too. The Trinchero family produces modern-style dry and sweet vermouth in California, while Cherubino’s Valsangiacomo Reserva from Valencia earned a well-deserved Master. Sherry is probably the first wine that springs to mind when talking about fortified wines, and we were impressed by two manzanillas en rama – one from Equipo Navazos, the other from Bodegas Hidalgo; both picked up Golds. The amontillados from Hidalgo and Barbadillo also showed how concentrated and stunning dry amontillado can be. Our one palo cortado, Altanza’s Colección Roberto Amillo, nutty and gently salty with dried fruit, shows the beautiful balance expected from this unusual style. Oloroso has depth of toasted nut, raisins and dried apricots, and a burnt sugar overtone, with tangy acidity and silky tannins. Dry or sweet, these are stunning wines – and not terribly expensive, given their extraordinary quality. Much of the excitement this year came from the diversity of Ports. White Port showed well and makes an excellent light aperitif, with
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
