Palo Cortado – Señorio de Callao (León Domecq)

An upgraded Palo Cortado from Bodegas Vides, now called León Domecq

Since 2021 the legendary name Domecq adorns the façade of a century-old bodega. It is actually the new name of Bodegas Vides, which was founded by the illustrious Tomás Domecq Rivero in 1958. It is located in the Calle Justicia, in the Santiago quarter, close to Bodegas Tradición and Urium. Bodegas Vides had been ageing wines since 1850 as an almacenista (check the Almacenista Vides from Lustau). Wines were produced from the vineyard La Campañía in the pago Macharnudo. Grandson Fernando Leòn Manjon Domecq (related to the historic Pedro Domecq but also Bodegas Viuda de Manjón) had been managing the bodega and decided to mark the restored warehouses with a new name.

Bodegas León Domecq

In 2021 Bodegas León Domecq launched its range of premium wines. It covers the entire range from a Fino En Rama over Amontillado and Palo Cortado to Oloroso, Medium, Cream and Pedro Ximénez. All of them are united in a series called Señorio de Callao.

The Palo Cortado we are having today is said to be around 20 years of age.

Palo Cortado – Señorio de Callao (20%, León Domecq, 50 cl)

Nose: starts with a yeasty / bready note. I remember my grandparents used to take beer yeast tablets as a food supplement – this is the first thing that comes out. Opens up nicely, on plenty of nice orange / lemon peels and the hint of (fermented) butter that is so typical of this style. Brioche, almonds and caramelized walnuts. Hints of raisins and plums, with dried apricots and a bright acidic edge that is quite uncommon in Palo Cortado. After a while a beautiful touch of varnished oak comes out.

Mouth: quite tangy, still plenty of citrus freshness at first, while it picks up weight along the way. Dry, with a good balance between fruity acidity, dried fruits and a warm oaky layer. Pecan pie, walnuts, with just a hint of olive brine. A hint of cocoa too. Then roasted nuts and subtle (old) wood spice with an implied sweetness underneath. Medium finish, very refined and dry.

Availability: around € 48 in the online shop (50 cl bottle, mind you). I picked up mine from Vinello for a few euros more. Overall the new price is quite ambitious, with the Lustau version still available for around € 30,

Summary: The marked acidity makes this a little different from other Palo Cortados, but it works well alongside the varnished side and dried fruits. A nice wine with a lot of finesse, perhaps more towards Amontillado. High quality but as a big fan of Lustau's Almacenista version, the price increase is a damper on the joy.

4

Very good

Tags: 20%, Leòn Domecq, Palo Cortado, Señorio de Callao, Vides

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