Bodega Primitivo Collantes 'Fossi' Amontillado Chiclana de la Frontera, Jerez

750ml bottle

18% abv

Dry, saline Amontillado blending Fino freshness with nutty, oxidative depth. Toasted hazelnut, sea air, orange peel, and a touch of caramel. Medium-bodied, crisp yet rounded, with a long, savory finish.

100% organic estate grown Palomino Fino from the Matalián vineyard.

Winemaking: Native yeast fermentation in stainless steel. Fortified to 15% ABV and aged 5 years under flor. Then fortified again to 18% and aged another 8 years oxidatively, without flor.

The Amontillado Fossi bottling is actually called an Amontillado Fino by the folks at Primitivo Collantes, and the name is very fitting. This is one of the most elegant Amontillados we have tasted. The fino bones of this gem are very apparent. Too many Amontillados end up being dominated by the oxidative aging - but this one balances the two phases of its life perfectly. The color is not so different than the Arroyeulo Fino, but the nose and pallet show the obvious nuttiness and complexity of oxidative aging combined with the salty freshness of fino sherry. A beautiful wine.

Primitivo, known around town as Primi, is the 4th Generation of his family to be making wine in Chiclana de la Frontera. The bodega was founded in the 19th century when brothers Primitivo and Tómas Collantes moved to Chiclana de la Frontera from the Iguña Valley in Santander. A few years after arriving, they acquired a small cellar in town which still houses the company headquarters today. They grew the company over the years and acquired prime holdings in vineyards in the Chiclana area. Today they have 39HA of vines, all farmed organicially.

Production of typical sherry wines has long been the driving force here and the Finos and Amontillado are some of the most exciting we have tasted. The Ceballos Fino is aged 3 years under flor and is perfectly simple and refreshing; it’s the kind of Fino that could occupy an entire afternoon. The Arroyuelo Fino en Rama demands more attention. It is aged 5 years under flor and then the best casks are chosen and bottled with no filtration or clarification. It is beautifully complex and long. The Amontillado Fossi sees 5 years as a fino before an average of 8 years oxidative aging. They call this an Amontillado Fino - and the name is apt - this is an exceptionally fresh and lively version of Amontillado.

While we were very taken with the lineup of Sherry at this Bodega, it was the the fresh, un-fortified white wines that dominated our conversation after our tasting. The Matalían, from a vineyard of the same name, is fresh, complex and just textured enough. It evokes the white Albariza soil, the Palomino Fino grape, the sun and the sea - and it does so through fruit and terroir as opposed to through process, which is something in Jerez. The Socaire is another Palomino Fino wine but this one is aged for 2 years in old Fino barrels. The wine does not have flor and is not oxidized at all, but there is an echo of Fino sherry that is somewhat mind bending in a wine that is so fresh. It is a wine that is somewhat confounding but so satisfying.