N.V. Luis XIV Fondillon Edad Superior 25 yo

Fondillon is a rancio (deliberately oxidised or maderised) style of wine unique to Spain’s Mediterranean province of Alicante; the wines are stored for decades at a time in traditional tonel barrels in humid cellars. They are made from the Monastrell grape variety, and matured in a solera system like an Oloroso sherry. They are not fortified, but have a naturally high percentage of alcohol from the very ripe grapes they were made from. The Luis XIV Fondillon wines come from a cellar that had lain undisturbed since the 1960s. The 25-year-old is intensely nutty, with aromas of salted caramel, liquorice, rum and raisin and wood smoke. It is an intensely persistent wine. Although it was made from black grapes, tannins have dissipated and it is elegant and silky through the mouth. The aromas suggest a sweet wine, but it is dry, savoury – and delicious. (NT 22/03/22)