NV Don Gonzalo Oloroso
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Tasting notes
It's hard to find the words to describe a wine that tastes both bone dry and sweet at the same time. It's not something that 'fits'. It's a wine that reminds me of my big, 70-year-old, African teak desk, handmade in a hurry, and the drawers have never ever fit. I have to wiggle and juggle and push and fiddle to get them to go back in (most of the time I don't even bother). The person who made it didn't bother too much about planing the surface unevenly and there are bits where the varnish has worn away and my palms run the risk of splinters if I hold them at the wrong angle. But everything about this desk is beautiful: it's width, depth, generosity, copper-amber colour, grain, softness, hardness, unevenness. It's exactly like this extraordinarily beautiful wine that tastes as if it might be the love child of Islay whisky and Madagascan vanilla with a heart of home-grown apricots. (TC)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Brownish orange tawny. Greenish rim. After the Cardenal it is having difficulty making an aromatic impression! But on the palate it is very satisfying and clean – just very slightly woody on the end. Lots of acidity and concentration. (JR)
The NV Don Gonzalo Oloroso 20 Anos VOS, produced with Palomino grapes from the Carrascal vineyards, is fermented in stainless steel and aged for over 20 years in oak botas. It is a very serious Oloroso, even if it’s not totally dry. It offers bitter almonds, hazelnuts, incense, Cuban cigar ash, and dark chocolate as well as a complex, a very intense, round and ample palate. This wine really fills your mouth. Very intense and with great acidity, it represents very good value for the quality it delivers. A tamed beast. Drink 2013-2019. I’ve often called Valdespino “the Romanee-Conti of Jerez.” Well, there, I’ve said it. To me they represent quality and tradition at the very top of the Sherry hierarchy. The winery, soleras and brands are old, registered in 1875, but with documentation about their commercial and winegrowing activities going back to the 13th century. Their recent history starts in 1999, when Jose Estevez purchases the company from the Valdespino family. Today Valdespino is the jewel in the crown of the Grupo Estevez, which also includes Real Tesoro and La Guita, who stock and age 35,000 botas of Sherry and own 800 hectares of vineyards, 56 of which come from the Pago Macharnudo, on pure white albariza soil, one of the best vineyards in the Marco de Jerez, and 17 hectares from the heart of Macharnudo are still fermented in bota today and form the core of brands like Inocente, Tio Diego, CP or Cardenal. All the wines were carefully and slowly moved to the new facilities of the Grupo Estevez on the outskirts of Jerez, where they continue their development under the supervision of Eduardo Ojeda, technical director, winemaker, who as a wine-lover is very aware of his role preserving these old soleras, wines and traditions. Imported by Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404 and Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA; tel. (800)999-4342
Very dark brown. Intense nose. Good start, smooth... but the finish is a bit too chemical/medicinal for me. (VD)