There was considerable discussion about some Spanish wines, including
Sherry, in a recent thread here, so I thought someone may know some
wines I just bought, 1 bottle each, to sample.

Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez, Montilla Moriles. I have tasted
wines from this grape before, and they were very sweet and intense
wines. The very ripe grapes are spread out on mats to dry in the sun.
The back label says that the opened bottle, if corked, will keep for
months even without refrigeration. The 1/2 bottle of this one is very
deep in color and is not cheap. Alcohol is only 16% by volume and thus
lower than in many Sherry wines.

Colosia Moscatel Soleado Dulce, 1/2 bottle. The denoninaciones de
origen is Jerez, Manzanilla, so I guess it could be called Sherry, but
a very different one from the more usual types.. This sweet wine is
made using the pasil system that suns the grapes on sand. Uses screw
cap. Alcohol level is 15% by volume.

The third Spanish wine is Senorio de Sarria Moscatel 2007, vino dulce
natural, from Navarra. It comes in a Boedeau shaped 500 ml bottle, and
is light yellow. Alcohol is 15% by volume

An unusual California white wine I also bought was Bonny Doon Le Vol
Des Anges 2006, half bottle.It is a Roussanne from Beeswax Vineyard,
Arroyo Seco, Monterey County. The Roussanne grapes in the Beeswax
vineyard had very high levels of botrytis in 2006, thus allowing
making a very sweet wine. The residual sugar is 11% and the grapes
were at 37.6 degrees at harvest. Uses screw cap. Alcohol is 14.8% by
volume.

I just received the wine today and have not started tasting it. The
wines are all likely to be from sweet to very sweet.

cwdjrxyz > wrote in news:e4bd5531-f9b2-4bcc-9b56-
:

> There was considerable discussion about some Spanish wines, including
> Sherry, in a recent thread here, so I thought someone may know some
> wines I just bought, 1 bottle each, to sample.
>
> Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez, Montilla Moriles. I have tasted
> wines from this grape before, and they were very sweet and intense
> wines. The very ripe grapes are spread out on mats to dry in the sun.
> The back label says that the opened bottle, if corked, will keep for
> months even without refrigeration. The 1/2 bottle of this one is very
> deep in color and is not cheap. Alcohol is only 16% by volume and thus
> lower than in many Sherry wines.


It is a nice inexpensive wine (retails in the 10 euros range here).
Dense, thick, ... it is very good as a dessert or as an after dessert.
Serve it very lightly chilled. Not direct from the fridge. You will find
tobacco or mocha notes. It is excellent as a first good PX and for most
people is more than enough because it is complex enough that they do not
need exploring the more expensive bottlings.


>
> Colosia Moscatel Soleado Dulce, 1/2 bottle. The denoninaciones de
> origen is Jerez, Manzanilla, so I guess it could be called Sherry, but
> a very different one from the more usual types.. This sweet wine is
> made using the pasil system that suns the grapes on sand. Uses screw
> cap. Alcohol level is 15% by volume.

This I do not know but it comes from other variety (Moscatel instead of
PX). It shold be much more subtle than the PX.

>
> The third Spanish wine is Senorio de Sarria Moscatel 2007, vino dulce
> natural, from Navarra. It comes in a Boedeau shaped 500 ml bottle, and
> is light yellow. Alcohol is 15% by volume

This should be grapey, with all the flavours of the fresh moscatel
grape. I have not tasted it.

s.

cwdjrxyz > wrote:

> Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez, Montilla Moriles. I have
> tasted wines from this grape before, and they were very sweet
> and intense wines. The very ripe grapes are spread out on mats
> to dry in the sun. The back label says that the opened bottle,
> if corked, will keep for months even without refrigeration. The
> 1/2 bottle of this one is very deep in color and is not cheap.
> Alcohol is only 16% by volume and thus lower than in many Sherry
> wines.

A full bottle is EUR12.40 over he

<www.rioja.at> --> Shop --> search "alvear", 2nd hit.

This is what I consider one of the greatest bargains on this planet.
Exceptional wine, exceptional QPR.

M.

Mike Tommasi > wrote:

>>> Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez, Montilla Moriles. [...]
>>> The 1/2 bottle is not cheap. [...]

>> A full bottle is EUR12.40 over he
>>
>> <www.rioja.at> --> Shop --> search "alvear", 2nd hit.
>>
>> This is what I consider one of the greatest bargains on this
>> planet. Exceptional wine, exceptional QPR.

> Yes, I tried this a couple of years ago, incredible how a
> wine that was made from grapes picked before the (previous)
> depression can sell for a pittance.

Caution: The label reads "Solera" which means you would find only
an infinitesimal fraction of the 1927 in the fractioned blend.
It's not vintage 1927.

M.

Michael Pronay > wrote in
:
>
> Caution: The label reads "Solera" which means you would find only
> an infinitesimal fraction of the 1927 in the fractioned blend.
> It's not vintage 1927.

True. And I am not sure that 1927 means that the solera was started in
1927. I think it could be just a number for Marketing purposes.

But the wine is good anyway so, who cares!

s.

santiago > wrote:

>> Caution: The label reads "Solera" which means you would find
>> only an infinitesimal fraction of the 1927 in the fractioned
>> blend. It's not vintage 1927.

> True. And I am not sure that 1927 means that the solera was
> started in 1927.

To the best of my knowledge, it *should* mean that.

> I think it could be just a number for Marketing
> purposes.

Then, I guess, this would not be 100% in line with EU wine law.

Btw: in the US you cannot register four-figure trademarks
beginning with a "1" or a "2" for wines or spirits (possibly
for all types of food). For once a decent regulation, imho.

> But the wine is good anyway so, who cares!

True!

M.