‘Tis the season to be fortified
Helen Coburn highlights fortified and sweet wines in the run up to Christmas and explains why they shouldn’t just be an afterthought over the festive period
Print18 November 2013
Sweet and sherry options from Hidalgo (Nicholson), Garveys (Gleeson) and Donnafugata (Liberty)
Even at Christmas, fortified and sweet wines can be an afterthought. Wine writers are as guilty as any, generally tagging them onto the end of a column under a something-for-after-dinner heading. And of course, having left them to the end, there’s often not enough space to give them their due.
So this year, we’ve got onto them early and have done a special tasting devoted only to fortified and dessert wines. Right now, brandy and single malt whiskey are the fashionable postprandials and, if you’re like me, you’ll have difficulty persuading people to try dessert wines, other than port. The trick is to bring your bottle straight to the table with the pudding, put out the glasses and pour. It’s a virtual certainty that almost all those glasses will empty quickly and they’ll soon be looking for more. Even better, you’ll find a lot of your guests will be asking what the wine was, and how they can get some.
Sweet and sherry options from Hidalgo (Nicholson), Garveys (Gleeson) and Donnafugata (Liberty)
Sherry is highly versatile, with different styles giving you options for aperitifs, starters and puddings. In Jerez, where the wine is made, they often drink sherry through the meal, but I think that can get a little heavy, even if you’re eating Spanish style. Tempranillo based reds work better with meats and tomato based main courses and, as to white, anything based on viura will generally do the trick. If you want to go aromatic, albarino is pretty good with rich chicken or fish dishes. It’s possible to get Spanish table whites made from the main sherry grape, palomino, but, to tell the truth, they can be a bit lacking in character. Still, if you want a talking point at the table, you could try one; most of them make for pleasant drinking anyway.
But we digress. Most of the fortified and dessert wines tasted found favour with our samplers and that’s no surprise because these winemaking styles are generally quality orientated. Here’s some of what we liked best – prices are roughly retail.
Sherry
Manzanilla Pasada Baron (Celtic Whiskey €15). We mentioned this a few months ago but it’s here again because it’s so good. Classic, nutty and dry.
Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino (Barry & Fitzwilliam €16). Clean, dry citrus notes with a nutty underpinning. Try to buy half bottles if you don’t have a crowd and don’t keep it lying around for more than a week or so after opening as it will lose intensity. Drink with ham, smoked salmon and salty nibbles.
La Goya Manzanilla (Vinostito €17). Very dry – almost salty – with flavours of nuts and a hint of white chocolate. Really can’t be beaten as a companion for a bowl of nuts.
Antique Fino Per (Searson €24). If you’ve a sherry buff in your life, this is an ideal gift wine. Classic, dry, nutty palate with just that hint of citrus to distinguish it from a manzanilla. For a special gift you could box it up with a bottle of Antique Oloroso Per (EUR*32), which has a lovely walnut and orange richness.
Rey Fernando de Castilla Amontillado (Searsons €17). Walnuts with a hint of dried orange – works with nuts, hard cheeses and dried ham.
Malvedos is a single vineyard vintage port owned by Grahams. These styles are often good value – prices vary according to vintage, starting at around €45 (Findlater)
Valdespino Solera 1842 Oloroso (Liberty Wines €30). Dried orange, nuts and caramel; very good length. Just about off-dry so that it works well with both cheese and puddings that aren’t too sweet.
Williams & Humbert Dry Sack Medium (Findlater €16). Palomino blended with pedro ximenez, to produce a moderately sweet oloroso. The nose is slightly toffee-like, with walnut and hints of orange syrup on the palate. It’s more approachable than the dry sherries above but is ideal to offer someone who’s used to cream sherry but wanting to try something more complex.
Harveys Bristol Cream (Barry & Fitzwilliam €15). This blend of some 30 finos, amontillados and olorosos with sweet pedro ximenez, creates a nuts and raisin cream sherry which won’t cloy.
Williams & Humbert Canasta Cream (Findlater €16) is another decent cream, with walnut and dried fruit flavours nicely balancing the sweetness.
Lustau San Emilio PX (Mitchell €32). This has 450 grams per litre of residual sugar but doesn’t feel heavy on the palate; rich cakes and festive pudding go perfectly with its date, prune and caramel flavours. Try some over ice-cream too.
Baron Reserva PX (Celtic €33). Rich and concentrated; think walnuts bathed in figs, dates and sweet orange. Perfect with Christmas pud.
Port
Warres Late Bottled Vintage 2001 (Febvre €28). One of the best LBVs and has decent keeping properties after opening. Silky, dark cherry, berry and damson fruit with well balanced alcohol.
Port grapes being harvested at Cockburns
Cockburns Late Bottled Vintage (Barry & Fitzwilliam €21). Always sprightly red and dark fruits, with an undertow of smooth, ripe plum. Consistently good value for money.
Quinto do Vallado Ten Year Old Tawny Port (Searsons €35). My own tasting note just said: lovely. This will have to say it all. The Twenty Year Old Tawny (EUR*61) is noted as being "denser, nuttier, delicious". A pair of excellent gift wines.
Fonseca Vintage Port 2000 Magnum (Mitchells €220). Ok, so this is a special gift wine but it’s a fine vintage and, as a magnum, will drink well now or keep several years more. In that sense, we picked it out as being good value for money in the category. Just think: you would pay the same for just a half bottle of Chateau d’Yquem 1997.
Dessert wines
Otima is a tawny with a modern twist, showing raisin and dried apricot flavours (Febvre)
Innocent Bystander Moscato 2012 Australia (Liberty €8). It’s pink, it’s fruity, it’s low in alcohol and it’s great value. What more can one say?
Contero Moscato d’Asti di Strevi Italy (Liberty €16). Sweet and soft green grape flavours with excellent balancing acidity. Perfect for fruit desserts.
Deen de Bortoli Botrytis Semillon 2006 Australia (Febvre €16). Unctuous, lengthy and peachy. Great value alternative to Sauternes.
Cordon Cut Clare Valley Australia Riesling 2011. (Liberty €25). Green grape and citrus flavours, fine balancing acidity and long, firm finish. Delicious and worth its price.
Chateau de Navailles Jurancon Moelleux France 2007 (Searson €23). For several years, Searsons has rather bravely carried this speciality. Floral, herby and honied is how the palate might be described and it’s moderately sweet. Try with foie gras, pate, or Roquefort cheese as well as with light desserts. Good value for money.
Zenato Recioto della Valpollicella Italy 2007 (Searson €37). Christmas in a bottle and the perfect gift. Red fruit, cooked fruit, dark spice – this has the lot.
Note: The sooner vintage port is drunk after opening, the better, but it will probably keep for three to four days in reasonably decent shape. Late bottled vintage will generally keep well for two to three weeks; try to consume within a month.
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