Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | Spain > Sherry |
Type | Fortified |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Bodegas Barbadillo
The NV Palo Cortado S. Roberto is a one-off wine that comes from a unique barrel. This single-barrel wine is thought to be very old, because the wine has been untouched since the 1980s, so the wine has to be 80 to 90 years old (perhaps more). But it's not a dynamic solera. Although the barrel was untouched, the oak must be covered by tartrates and the wine evolved slowly, with little evaporation and concentration. In fact, for such an old wine, it's unusual that the alcohol is a "moderate" 20.5%. So, the wine, which was always classified as Palo Cortado, has incredible finesse and elegance, combined with concentration and power. It's a textbook, balanced and clean, fine and elegant, extremely old Palo Cortado. This is as good as Palo Cortado gets. It doesn't have the concentration and depth of the Reliquia, but this is anecdotal and impossible to repeat and the Reliquia can be bottled in very small quantities every year, so it's sustainable and this is not. Splitting hairs here, so I'll be generous with the score. Unique and elegant. 1,100 half bottles produced.