Poley Cream 10 Años (Toro Albalá)

Dry and sweet Pedro Ximénez wines, oxidatively aged and blended

Cream wines from the D.O. Montilla – Moriles are interesting: the region has a tradition to use Pedro Ximénez grapes for sweet wines, but also for their dry wines. Hence a Montilla Cream is always a monovarietal blend of dry PX and sweet PX.

Poley Cream from Bodegas Toro Albalá is around 10 years old. The components age in separate soleras, and the oxidatively aged wines are blended along the way.

The Poley range contains all sorts of Vinos Generosos. The name Poley (or Bulay) is the Muslim name for the home town of the bodega, Aguilar.

Cream ‘Poley’ 10 Años (17,5%, Toro Albalá 2021, 50 cl)

Nose: nicely balanced. At first you get the typical raisiny notes and honey from the young PX. On the other hand there are darker oxidative notes to give it more depth. Furthermore, roasted nuts, a hint of warm polished wood and subtle pepper appear. Hints of dried figs, prunes and orange peel too.

Mouth: really nice. The acidity is fairly high, making this one of the fresher Creams I’ve had. Citrusy notes and sour cherries. Then lots of roasted nuts, hints of espresso and a spicy touch as well. In the end also bittersweet notes and a lengthy finish.

Availability: available in a lot of countries – I got mine from Passion for Whisky in Holland. Mind that it’s only available in 50 cl bottles.

Summary: A balanced acidity is key in a sweet wine, and it's something Cream is often lacking. Toro Albalá nails it though, this was a nice surprise with above-average complexity and a nice balance. Very tasty, and it pairs perfectly with foie gras, a cheese board or fruit pastry.

4

Very good

Tags: 10yo, 17.5%, Cream sherry, Marques de Poley, Montilla, Montilla-Moriles, Toro Albalá

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