SOLERA 1842

There is a tendency to fetishise old wines, as if the mere fact of age were proof of quality. In reality, very few wines made today are built to last, and even those that are sometimes taste much better in youth. As ever, it depends on your taste: some of us lean towards the more savoury, leathery, woody and earthy flavours that come with keeping a wine for years or decades, while some of us might find more pleasure in the fresh fruit and flowers, the livelier, sharper feel, of wines in the first year or two after vintage. As with the Taylor’s 1896, what those purely sensual descriptions don’t account for is the emotional component of drinking older wines – I don’t think I’m the only one who gets a little dreamy and contemplative at the thought of drinking a wine from the 19th century – or, in the case of Valdespino’s magnificently intense, nutty, sherry, drawn from a solera (a continuously replenished set of barrels) that was started in 1842.David Williams, The Observer (Jun 2021)

From one of the oldest producers in Jerez, this is an off-dry style of sherry with a dark mahogany hue and a glorious nose of dried fruit and toffee. It finishes with a nutty, tangy acidity. Enjoy as a winter aperitif.Will Lyons, The Sunday Times (Oct 2018)

Contains 10% PX from another solera. Blended and then aged together. Dark tawny. About the same age as Don Gonzalo. It’s described as Medium Sweet on the label but actually you could happily drink this with ham or cheese – or as an aperitif on a cold winter’s day. Good balance. Very rich start and it finishes dry. Rating: 17 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Sept 2016)