Oloroso VORS + 30 Year Old NV

Located in Jerez de la Frontera, in the heart of the Marco de Jerez in Andalusia, Bodegas Tradición produces this Oloroso VORS from wines primarily sourced from albarizas, the typical chalky soils that dominate the vineyard. The winery selects highly concentrated wines from various pagos in the region to reflect the complexity and depth of the Jerez terroir. The warm and sunny climate, tempered by Atlantic influence, promotes optimal grape ripening, essential for the production of this rich and long-aged wine.

Made from Palomino Fino white grapes harvested on the Albariza of Marco de Jerez, this wine is first vinified as a dry white wine, then fortified to reach the required alcohol content before entering the criaderas y solera system. It ages for a long time in American oak barrels, without flor, through progressive oxidation, until it reaches an average age of over thirty years, imparting great aromatic concentration and a complexity typical of the winery's Oloroso VORS.

This wine reveals notes of dried fruits, nuts, and dried fig, complemented by spicy touches of pepper and clove, as well as woody nuances of oak, vanilla, and blond tobacco. More balsamic and slightly roasted accents provide great aromatic complexity. On the palate, the body is ample, dry, and structured, supported by lively acidity, remarkable concentration, and a very long, saline, and persistent finish.

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.