Fernando de Castilla Antique Oloroso NV
Type: Fortified Wine
Country: Spain
Region: Jerez
Grape Variety: 100% Palomino Fino
Alcohol Percentage: 20%
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: Oloroso typically comes from the second pressing of the grapes or the coarser wines. This wine does not spend any of its life under flor and is fortified in the February after harvest to 18% abv. This is then added to the first Criadera of the Oloroso Solera. The Antique Oloroso is bottled without blending, cold stabilization or filtration of any kind in order to preserve the subtlety, purity and distinctive aromas. On average, this wine is 20 years old.
Color: Amber, almost auburn in color
Nose: The nose displays dried fruits with some walnut and quite elusive earthy notes on the finish
Palate: The palate is very dry and has a masculine feel to it, the finish is incredibly long
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.
