Description
The Panel found this one immediately earthy and mulchy. We noted lots of leafy sherry influence, touches of truffle, wild dried mushrooms, game meats and then denser things such as treacle toffee and aromas of rancio. Water brought a slight tang of dark berry fruit, along with jasmine flowers and highly aromatic impressions of tea tree oil, menthol tobacco and pomegranate molasses. The palate was immediately big, earthy, gamey and full of wonderful evocations of VORS oloroso sherry, meaty dark fruit notes and rich flavours of black coffee and tobacco. Reduction maintained a highly classical and polished sherry profile: chocolate, herbs, earth, meats, camphor and pickled walnuts. Finally, there was some lovely rancio in the aftertaste. This was matured in a bourbon hogshead for 10 years before being transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.