Sanchez Romate Amontillado NPU Sherry

Description

Sanchez Romate Amontillado NPU Sherry is a dry nutty Sherry. Stylistically an Amontillado Sherry sits between the lighter, floral Fino Sherries and the dark, nuttier Oloroso Sherries. This is part of Sanchez Romate’s range of older, aged wines.

Bodegas Sanchez Romate a high quality producer of both Sherry wines and Brandy de Jerez. The company was established by Juan Sánchez de la Torre in 1781 to produce fine wines. Over two hundred years later Sanchez Romate is one of the oldest bodegas in Spain and one of the remaining wineries in the Jerez Designation of Origin that remains under independent family ownership. A brandy was first produced in 1887 and it is the fabulous Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva which has become the family’s flagship brand. The company produces three different ranges of sherry, from the classic Romate range to the Reservas Especiales through to La Sacristía, the company’s oenological treasures.

Sánchez Romate own 60 hectares of vineyards situated on some of the best “Albariza” soils, the famous chalky white soils, of the Jerez region. They have also invested in some of the most modern facilities in the region, all of which are still housed in the traditional bodega buildings located in central Jerez. There are still high-ceiling traditional cellars which naturally keep temperatures stable and allow the natural yeasts to circulate whilst the sand floors help maintain the optimum levels of humidity. This is all important for the development of the flor, the layer of yeast which sits on the surface of the wine.

Prior to ageing Sherry begins life as a white wine, normally made from Palomino grapes, which is then fortified with a young grape brandy. After fortification Sherries are aged through the traditional criaderas y soleras system, a fractional ageing system consisting of American oak casks filled to five-sixths and arranged in layers of three to four. Essentially, the oldest Sherry is drawn off the bottom level for bottling and which is then topped up at the top level with new Sherry.

An Amontillado Sherry starts life as a Fino but if the layer of Flor fails to develop properly or is killed off by fortification, the Fino gently oxidises developing all sorts of nutty character to become an Amontillado. Sanchez Romate Amontillado NPU Sherry is a dry style of Amontillado that is made from 100% Palomino Fino grapes and aged for 18 years.

NPU = Non Plus Ultra