Last night, I had a 1964 Pio Cesare Barolo with a dear friend. Call it a practice bottle for my 60th next year. It was fun and fragile. Nothing life changing. But it got me thinking about getting a bottle for him (1951). It seems to have been a pretty awful year for most of Europe, and 1951 wasn’t exactly yesterday even so. Something like Port or Sherry seems to be the best bet. I know he would enjoy either one and it is a “thought that counts” more than anything else.
So far, I have found this. Any other suggestions? Thanks.
Thanks Otto. I’m in the dark on this one. Please shed some light on how it would differ(and limit it to three paragraphs. ) Again, the year is the biggest attraction, but I also don’t want to buy a dud.
Technically it is and it isn’t a Sherry… just depends how geeky you want to get.
The Amontillado style is most common nowadays in the Marco de Jerez… (Sanlucar, Jerez, El Puerto de Santa Maria)… but the name A-Montilla-Do means kinda “in the style of Montilla”. Supposedly the Amontillado style originated in Montilla.
I recently had an Amontillado from Equipo Navazos that was sourced from Perez Barquero in Montilla, Bota No 117, which was incredible. It had an average age of 30 years, and I considered it a “sherry-esque” wine.
Montilla-Morilles and Jerez are not the same, but they’re like fairly identical cousins. Same style of wines (for the most part), some minor differences… Jerez uses Palomino mostly and Montilla uses PX, and a few minor details here and there… this is an over simplification.
So the Marques de Poley Amontillado PX will taste similar to a Amontillado from Jerez, maybe a bit more structured and glyceric because of the PX grape… but with all that age on it… it’ll be very similar.
Conversely, many almacenistas in Jerez source PX from Montilla to top up their old barrels… and its legal. There’s an agreement that as long as it spends at least 2 years in the Marco de Jerez aging, then it becomes Jerez.
You can check Perez Barquero, also from Montilla, who have vintage dated Amontillados, Palo Cortados, Olorosos etc… I know Gonzalez Byass also has a vintage dated sherry, but not sure if they made any in 1951.
While technically not a Sherry, the Montilla-Moriles region is next door and many of the wines, like the one you’re looking at, are made in the same style.
Vintage-dated sherries are very scarce as they typically aren’t made as a single vintage wine. The dominance is wines made in a solera system, which to put very simply is a wine blended of many years’ vintages over the course of decades, or centuries. The earliest dated solera sherry I’ve had was from a solera begun in 1780.
The description provided by Parker in his review is a good one to go by. The bottle won’t be sticky sweet like most typical PX wines because it wasn’t made in that style. Frankly, what Buckley wants for the bottle doesn’t seem that bad to me. I might order one.
Fortunately there were other knowledgeable people who basically put everything I was going to, so I really don’t need to. Maybe add some interesting details.
Indeed, this. The difference stems from Montilla-Moriles not being really next door, but about 150 km / 100 miles away, inland. This means it is a hotter and drier place, not really suited to growing Palomino, but great for growing PX - a variety that can thrive even in hot climates and has propensity to accumulating sugar. As PX naturally develops high levels of sugar, it can reach 15% ABV when fermented dry, meaning that the wines don’t always need to be fortified - and fortification both dilutes the wine flavors and adds its own spirituous flavor. This gives the drier styles of Montilla-Moriles more body and power compared to the similar styles of Sherry.
Furthermore, the flor yeast thrives in the “cooler” and more humid climate of Jerez - not so much in the warmer, drier climate of M-M. As flor both consumes glycerol and produces acetaldehyde, the wines of M-M typically have less of that aldehydic tang typical of Sherry, but instead retain higher levels of glycerol, resulting in a bit more richness and/or sense of viscosity in the mouthfeel. Then there’s also the flavor difference between PX and Palomino, naturally. However, as they both are rather neutral varieties low in acidity, this is only a rather tiny part of the bigger picture - the more noticeable differences come mainly from the differences in climate. And these differences aren’t that big - most likely that Amontillado is going to be pretty similar to an Amontillado Sherry.
Finally, M-M has always made some vintage-dated wines as well - even if most wines are aged in a Solera system. Basically these vintage-dated wines are M-M’s counterpart to Madeira or the Colheita Ports of Douro. As Solera system is so ubiquitous in Jerez, vintage-dated Sherries are - as John said - extremely scarce. (Of the bigger houses, at least Lustau is making one!)
Thanks for adding even more info after Gobindjit and John (and keeping it to three paragraphs. ) Since this is listed as 21%, it clearly is fortified. Would you think this was still fermented dry prior to being fortified? John seems to be saying that it will not be in a sweet style. I saw an article which said that PX is dried to raisins prior to fermentation so I thought it would be sweet akin to a Recioto. Maybe more like an Amarone instead (pre-fortification, of course)?
It’s impossible to say whether it is fermented dry or not. Modern M-M:s and Sherries would be dry, since sweet Amontillados were prohibited ten years ago. However, back in the 1950’s they were still allowed, so unless the label clearly states whether the wine is Seco, Medium or Dulce, you really can’t know the level of sweetness without tasting the wine.
But, yes, I it was in any case first fermented dry, because that’s how they are made. Only sweet PX is made by raisining the grapes and then fermenting the must only partially. The other styles are made by first fermenting the wine to full (or almost full) dryness, and then if a producer wants the wine to be sweeter, they sweeten the wine by blending in some sweet PX.
I guess the article you read was about Sherries. As Gobindjit said, the Sherry producers can legally use PX from MM, as long as it is aged for a minimum of two years in the Jerez region. This PX is normally sweet PX made from raisined grapes and it is typically used to make sweet Sherries - either by blending PX with Sherry made from Palomino to make Medium or Cream Sherry, or by bottling it on its own as PX Sherry.
PX Sherry isn’t really similar to a Recioto. Recioto is “just” sweet. PX Sherry is often cloying to a ridiculous degree. Typically a Recioto contains 50-100 g/l residual sugar, whereas a standard PX Sherry tends to be around 350-450 g/l in residual sugar. Basically PX Sherry is raisin syrup and alcohol (but the best ones can still be superb!).
However, they produce all kinds of different styles of wines from PX in Montilla-Moriles. Sweet PX is just one style. For the other styles the grapes are not raisined, as the producers want enough fruit and freshness in their wines - you lose these qualities by raisining the grapes. A typical Fino, Amontillado or Oloroso from Montilla-Moriles is made from freshly harvested grapes, not raisins. So, most likely no - in all likelihood that 1951 wine hasn’t been like an Amarone at any point!
I bought my dad a bottle of 1951 Cazes Rivesaltes for his 70th. It was my first Rivesaltes wine (and the first time I had even heard of it). It is a naturally sweet wine. Lower alcohol than port. As I understand it, it is aged in cask for decades and bottles before release. I enjoyed it but am not racing back to buy more. It reminded me of Madeira more than anything else, but nuttier. I wish I had more control of the food served and think it would have been better with hard cheese, salty meats, etc. I would only recommend it if your friend is in to wine and interested in an unusual experience. My dad played along but didn’t like it that much. A few at the dinner table to a sniff and passed. My mother was certain it had gone rancid. I tried to explain rancio as a descriptor and realized I was fighting uphill.
I found my bottle from Woodland Hills wine company. Great service and they have a few other vintages available. 1951 currently out of stock but they might be able to source it. Description for their page pasted below.
Domaine Cazes, founded in 1895, is one of the oldest and most famous producers of Rivesaltes wines from the eponymously named Rivesaltes AOC in Roussillon. Rivesaltes, officially a “vin doux naturel,” is in fact a fortified dessert wine that can be made from any combination of Grenache Blanc, Noir, and Gris, Macabéo, and to a much lesser extent Torbato (here called Malvoisie du Roussillon), as well as Muscat. Rivesaltes may taste of raisins, coffee, chocolate, fruits, or nuts and the most concentrated can, like Banyuls, be some of the few wines that happily partner with chocolate. John Gilman writes that "Domaine Cazes is one of the greatest producers of sweet wines that I have ever had the pleasure to come across…these are utterly distinct and unique wines of brilliant complexity and character , and though they may not be as well known in the wine world at large as their superb quality deserves, they are truly some of the wine world’s greatest treasures. "
This selection comes directly from the domaine in June 2021. 100% Grenache Blanc. Aged for more than 6 decades in its original vat. This Rivesaltes has hints of oak and bitter orange aromas on the nose, a delicate and supple fruity palate, with beeswax and honey flavors, and a fresh and spicy finish. Alcohol 16%.
It just so happens that in looking for a 1951, I found this listed on Wine Searcher. I don’t think it is the direction I would want to go. But thanks for the input.
Haven’t had a 1951, but all these old Rivesaltes were bought and bottled by the same guy. The 1946 I had was very good. At the price, you’ll be hard pressed to beat it.
For what it’s worth - the 1943 Cazes Rivesaltes I recently had for my mothers 80th bday celebration was simply stunning. Also purchased from Woodland Hills. Fantastic customer service.
My birth year is 1951. I have 3 wines from that year (which was perhaps the worst vintage of the century).
1951 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo;
1951 Offley Porto Colheita; and
1951 Château Prieuré du Monastir del Camp Rivesaltes.
I have had bottles of the Port and the Rivesaltas, but not for at least 8 years or so, but I have one or two more of each. They are both good. Neither are excellent. I have not had the Barolo.
I will be opening another of the 1951 Ports at the Port tasting in New York listed in the Offline Forum (for some reason I cannot link to it here) and will report back.
The only Bordeaux I have seen from 1951 in the last 18 years since I started searching is 1951 Latour, which is too expensive to take a gamble.
What Otto said relative to sweetness. The wine you’re looking at will have some sweetness, but won’t be the thick, cloyingly sweet PX that you typically run into. With those PXs, you’re not sure if you should drink them or put them on your pancakes.
I poured a 1927 Alvear PX (a cheapo solera PX) at a gathering about 7 years ago. My friend said, “This would be good on vanilla ice cream.” I said, “that’s an idea.” I went into the house, got a half gallon of Breyers, and brought it out with bowls and spoons. He was right.
) Again, the year is the biggest attraction, but I also don’t want to buy a dud.
) Since this is listed as 21%, it clearly is fortified. Would you think this was still fermented dry prior to being fortified? John seems to be saying that it will not be in a sweet style. I saw an article which said that PX is dried to raisins prior to fermentation so I thought it would be sweet akin to a Recioto. Maybe more like an Amarone instead (pre-fortification, of course)?