Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado (375ML half-bottle)

  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 92 James
    Suckling
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
  • 91 Wine
    Enthusiast
3.5 Very Good (12)
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Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado (375ML half-bottle) Front Bottle Shot
Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado (375ML half-bottle) Front Bottle Shot Alvear Carlos VII Amontillado (375ML half-bottle)  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Size
375ML

ABV
19%

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

Light chestnut bright gold color. Pungent and complex bouquet, inimitable nutty and dried fig deep flavor and character, both soft and strong. Silky dry on palate with a long, complex and elegant finish.

Literally, Amontillado means "in the style of Montilla." The Carlos VII is an Amontillado that has been aging for more than 15 years in our traditional "Solera System" during and after the flor, gaining complexity and full round aromas while retaining the freshness of its origins as a Fino. An harmonious blend of finesse, elegance and age.

Due to the abundance of natural sugars that are accumulated during the ripening process, the wine will reach 15% alcohol naturally, without the necessity of adding any extra alcohol. This is the key to Alvear’s Fino and Amontillado, and the intensity of their Oloroso.

Professional Ratings

  • 93
    The NV Amontillado Carlos VII has a medium/dark color, notes of toffee, roasted nuts and coffee, but finishes dry with great acidity and penetrating almond-paste-like flavors. This is pretty impressive and the Solera that is the base of this cuvée is at least 15 years of age. Drink now through 2030.
  • 92

    A pure pedro ximenez that has been finished beautifully with a swathe of grilled nuts and mahogany wood. The dry, walnut-flavored palate offers a dry finish with some fullness. Dried-mushroom flavors linger at the finish. Drink now.

  • 91
    Takes a dry, taut approach from the start, with singed orange peel and bitter almond notes lining the green tea, dried passion fruit, Earl Grey tea and toasted parchment paper flavors. The long finish shows nice tension.
  • 91
    Maple, toffee and leather aromas combine nicely on a nutty, driving bouquet. The palate feels narrow and compact, with pointed flavors of saline, nuts and dried apricot. Finishes with power. Made from the Pedro Ximenez grape, not the more common Palomino.
Alvear

Alvear

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Alvear, Spain
Alvear  Winery Image
Alvear S.A. was established by Don Diego de Alvear in 1729, and since that time has remained under control of the Alvear family. This is the oldest winery in the region and its fino is today one of the three most popular fino wines in Spain. Located in the town of Montilla, in the province of Cordoba, in the interior of Andalucia. Grapes are sourced from their own vineyards, of 307.2 acres. They also buy grapes and wines from local growers. The area is dominated by small parcels. The terrain is formed by undulating hills and slopes of a singular whitish color. There are two basic types of soil: Albero and Arenas. Albero is a whitish, chalky soil, found on the higher ground in the Sierra de Montilla and Moriles Alto, both of which are classified as superior zones and produce finos of good, clean character. This type of soil is highly absorbent and can supply the vines with needed water during the long, dry summers. The sun bakes the surface to a hard crust, reflecting the heat and preventing the moisture from evaporating. Arenas is found in the Ruedos made up of largely sand, with some stony clay and a small proportion of limestone. The climate is Southern continental, with hot summers, reaching at times temperatures of 120°F, resulting in early harvests. The temperature drops sharply at night, cooling the fermenting musts. Winters are cold.
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What are the types and styles of dessert wine?

Dessert wines come in an impressive array of styles and sweetness levels. The most straightforward method for making dessert wine is quite simply a late harvest of wine grapes, though further distinctions arise based on country of origin. The main examples include Sauternes (France), Tokaji (Hungary) and ice wine (Germany and Canada).

What are the types and styles of fortified wine?

Fortified wines (meaning alcohol has been added during the winemaking process) include Sherry, Port, Madeira, Banyuls, Rutherglen and other very small-scale styles. Sherry comes in completely dry styles (Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado) and also in a range of sweetness levels. Madeira is typically sweet but can be made into a dry style. Port can be most simply separated into Tawny and Ruby styles. Vermouth, an herb-infused fine wine, is today popular among mixologists and other dessert wines are derived, not from wine grapes, but from different fruits.

How are dessert and fortified wines made?

As mentioned above, many wines in this category—like Sauternes and Tokaji—are produced by leaving the grapes on the vine long after the rest of the harvest has been processed in order to accumulate very high sugar levels. Often, a form of “noble” rot called botrytis plays a role, desiccating the grapes until only the very flavorful solids and sugars remain. These late-picked wines are, accordingly, often referred to as late-harvest wines. In colder climates, the grapes may be allowed to freeze on the vine for the production of ice wine. Other styles are made by letting the harvested grapes dry out (also concentrating sugars). Fortified wines are fortified with neutral spirits to increase the level of alcohol, and, depending on the final style of wine desired, arrest fermentation while some level, high to low (or no), residual sugar remains.

What gives dessert and fortified wines their color?

The different colors of most dessert wines come from the type of grape used and varying levels of oxidation during the winemaking process. The colors of Sherry and Port are mainly the result of oxidation, or lack thereof. Fino and Manzanilla styles are clear to pale gold because of the benevolent film-forming yeasts, called flor, that make a floating seal on the surface of the wine. This layer protects the wine from oxidation, and thus any browning. The other styles of Sherry use various levels of controlled oxidation, resulting in various hues of amber. The two basic styles of Port, Ruby and Tawny, also come in two basic colors, as noted by their names. Both styles are made from the same blend of Douro red varieties, but Tawny ports are tawny in color because they are made from a blend of vintages that have been aged in barrels and gradually exposed to oxygen. Ruby Ports retain their bright color because these wines are aged in barrel only for two to three years before bottling, thus minimizing any color change from oxidation.

How do you serve dessert and fortified wines?

Because of the typically higher sugar and alcohol content, the recommended serving size for most dessert, Sherry & Port wines is three ounces, which is smaller than for regular table wine. In general dessert wines should be served cold—a very sweet Tokaji is served at 40F; Sauternes are best at 50F. Fino and Manzanilla Sherries are best served at 45-50F, while the Amontillados, Olorosos and beyond, are best at 55F. Tawny Ports have a recommended serving temperature of 50-55F, whereas Ruby and Vintage Ports have a recommended serving temperature of 65F.

How long do dessert and fortified wines last?

High quality dessert wines such as Sauternes and Tokaji can often improve up to 10 to 20 years from bottling. Fino and Manzanilla Sherries should be consumed within a year or two of bottling since they are most appreciated for their freshness. Once opened, these are best consumed within a week. Store Amontillado Sherry up to about three years; once opened and refrigerated, these last two to three weeks before they decline. Store Oloro Sherry up to five years; once opened and refrigerated, these last a few weeks or longer. Cream Sherries are best consumed in their youth. Pedro Ximénez Sherry is a special case. It won’t necessarily improve with age, but is known to remain unchanged after many years of age. The two basic styles of Port can be further separated into an almost dizzying list of styles, but in general the only ones meant to age longer once bottled are crusted ports and vintage ports (from a declared vintage). Aside from those, LBV (late bottled vintage) ports should age about 4-6 years from the release date and the rest are ready to drink upon release. Fruit wines are not meant to age; the fresh fruit qualities of these wines are most prominent in their youth.

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Montilla-Moriles is a DO wine zone in Andalucia, in southern Spain, just south of Córdoba city but inland from the coast. Historically the wines of Montilla-Moriles made their way into the sherries made in Jerez. But once it was awarded DO status in 1945, Montilla-Moriles began to establish its own identity. The chalky and sandy soils combined with extremely hot temperatures are best to produce Pedro Ximénez, which accounts for nearly three quarters of the region’s production, some of which is still legally sold to Jerez and Málaga producers. The unique conditions of Montilla-Moriles allow for Pedro Ximénez to be bottled also in the Vinos Dulces Naturales (naturally sweet) style, a non-fortified style for which the region is recognized.

Muscat and Lairén are also produced for blending. Palomino is not suited to the extreme conditions of the area.

The basic types of Montilla-Moriles DO wines include young fruity wines, aged (crianza) wines, and generosos, which are aged in a solera system similar to those in Jerez. The resulting styles of generosos, simply known as, Montilla, while similar to sherry, perhaps display a bit less finesse given they are aged away from the cooling effects of the Atlantic.

CHMALV27013NV_0 Item# 141872

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