Fernando de Castilla Antique Fino NV
Type: Fortified Wine
Country: Spain
Region: Jerez
Grape Variety: 100% Palomino Fino
Alcohol Percentage: 17%
Viticulture: Vegan Friendly
Climate: Generally warm as a direct consequence of its low-lying altitude. Though the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean plays an important role in maintaining levels of humidity and moderating temperatures
Terroir: Grapes are sourced from Fernando de Castilla’s partner’s vineyards in the Jerez district. The soil type is Albariza. Picking takes place in early September
Ageing: The wine is made from the first pressing of grapes to give a light fresh style. Fermentation takes place at relatively high temperatures to reduce fruit flavour. The wine then undergoes natural malolactic fermentation, converting harsh malic acid to softer lactic acid. In February after harvest, the wine is fortified with grape brandy up to 15% abv. Once at this stage, the wine is then added to the youngest Criadera in the Solera. The wine then begins its ageing process under flor, a special type of yeast. Antique Fino is carefully selected from the classic fino and is aged for a further 4 years without any movements, except for monitoring the condition of the Flor yeast. The wine is fortified again, prior to bottling and this time, to 17%. Minimal filtration is practised and the wine is bottled in its natural state. No more than two to three casks of this wine per year are bottled and the casks are replenished with the Classic Fino
Color: Pale to straw yellow
Nose: Powerful and acute on the nose with intense flavours of roasted nuts and dried fruit
Palate: Clean, full palate with savoury notes, mature fruit and nuts. One of the finest fino sherries on the market. Incredibly delicate yet crammed full of flavour; cream, nuts with a subtle saltiness
About the Winery:
Widely recognized as one of the most exceptional of the small, independent sherry houses, Rey Fernando de Castilla was founded in 1837 by a family named Andrada-Vanderwilde. Fernando Andrada was the owner. They started producing brandy in 1956 (they are very famous for their brandy in Spain and Europe) and trademarked the name Rey Fernando de Castilla in 1969.
In 1999, the house was purchased by Jan Pettersen, a Norwegian with a passion for top-quality sherry and 15 years of experience at Osborne. After taking over the cellars of the sherry shipper José Bustamante, located next door to the main facilities of Fernando de Castilla, Jan quickly revitalized this winery, and today they are once again known as masters of the production and ageing of fine, unblended, untreated sherries.
They produce two lines: the Classic and the Antique. The wines in the Classic line have lower alcohol, and are styled to be more, well, classic, meaning that these are wines that are textbook representations of their kind. However, this house’s reputation is based on the excellence of the Antiques, a series of intensely pure and complex single solera sherries that undergo extended ageing in the cellar (the Antique PX is a 30-year-old system, while the Fino is 8 years) which results in sherries of great complexity and depth.
