Amontillado VORS + 30 Year NV

Located in Jerez de la Frontera, in the heart of the Marco de Jerez in Andalusia, Bodegas Tradición produces its Amontillado VORS from wines primarily sourced from albarizas, the chalky soils typical of the region. The vineyard benefits from a temperate Atlantic climate, moderated by sea winds, alternating between the humid breezes of the Poniente and the dry heat of the Levante. These conditions, combined with a long tradition of solera aging, give birth to a wine of great complexity, marked by the unique imprint of this coastal terroir in southern Spain.

Made from selected base wines, this sherry is produced using the traditional criaderas y solera system, with initial aging under flor yeast in American oak barrels, followed by a prolonged oxidative phase after the disappearance of the flor. The total aging exceeds three decades in small botas, allowing for aromatic concentration and great complexity, with no vintage indication, in accordance with the bodega's VORS tradition.

This wine reveals notes of walnut, toasted almond, hazelnut, complemented by touches of candied orange peel and dried fruit, as well as nuances of sweet spices, blond tobacco, and noble wood. On the palate, the texture is dry and full-bodied, carried by a lively acidity and great salinity, with a very elongated structure and a persistent, savory, and slightly bitter finish that underscores the complexity of this great Amontillado.

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.