Amontillado Carlos VII (Alvear)

Amontillado Carlos VII starts as an unfortified Fino with a biological ageing under flor of over five years. Once the flor disappears, it ages oxidatively until it reaches around 15 years of age.

This Amontillado is made by Bodegas Alvear, with 100% Pedro Ximénez grapes as usual in the D.O. Montilla-Moriles.

It used to be bottled in 50 cl bottles with blue labels but now the design is streamlined with the rest of the premium wines in half bottles (like the Fino Criadera /A for instance).

Amontillado Carlos VII (19%, Alvear)

Nose: a highly aromatic nose with flor, hay bales, leathery and nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts). Hints of beurre noisette and coffee. Light iodine. Polished wood. Touches of toffee in the background.

Mouth: tight and rather saline, with a higher bitterness than usual and an acidity which makes it feel thinner and sharper. It becomes slightly rounder after a while, with plenty of nutty notes again (more roasted nuts now), then a glyceric touch and dried herbs. Mushrooms and polished oak in the finish.

Availability: around € 15-20 for a 37.5 cl bottle. For international shipping, try Lavinia.

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Summary: Carlos VII starts with a top class nose: aromatic, wide and with a great balance of biologlcal and oxidative ageing. On the palate it turns into a very persistent, tight and intense wine, perhaps a little too aggressive. Overall a good wine.

3.5

Really good

Tags: 19%, Alvear, Amontillado, Carlos VII, Montilla-Moriles, Pedro Ximénez

About the Author

Ruben is a Certified Sherry Educator who fell in love with sherry some 25 years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at www.whiskynotes.be