Alvear, Amontillado Medium Dry (100% Pedro Ximenez) Montilla, Andalusia, Spain.
This rich and medium dry “Sherry” style wine is deeper and more complex than a fino, but still feels dry and fresh. Alvear is one of the great producers of Spain and the wines are some of the great values of the wine world. All their artisan crafted wine are made with the Pedro Ximenez grape, which is much more favored than Palomino, which is also known as PX and is used for amazing dessert wines. The Pedro Ximenez grape is believed to be from either the Canary Islands or possibly was a Moorish grape, and it seems to have got it’s name from a soldier that brought it back from his service abroad in his suitcase to Jerez, there is a myth that the grape traveled from the Canary Islands to the Rhein in Germany before coming to southern Spain, but no proof could be discovered and it now is far more at home in Andalusia, though there are still plantings in the Canaries. Alvear, one of the longest running wineries in Spain makes fantastic wines and this wonderful and tasty Amontillado is oozing with class and flavor with hints of golden raisin, fig, pecans and orange rind. The taste is citrusy fresh, but fills the mouth with a thick roundness and the golden hue is beautiful, this is a perfect sipping sherry style wine, but goes great with soups, cheese and salty fare.
($18 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

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