NV Bodegas Perez Barquero Gran Barquero Solera 25 Anos Amontillado Montilla-Moriles 500 ml

We don't blame wine aficionados visiting Andalucia for sipping sherry day and night, but when we’re in southern Spain, we like to head inland to Montilla-Moriles to indulge in the sherry-style wines there. The top ones rival the finest of Jeréz in their depth, complexity, and flat-out pleasure—and the immensely satisfying Gran Barquero Solera 25 Años Amontillado from Bodegas Pérez Barquero is a top example.

Amontillado begins its life like the clear fino sherries from Jeréz, aging with minimal contact with air, but then undergoing oxidative aging, which allows it to develop dark, nutty flavors. The Gran Barquero Solera 25 Años shows all the characteristics of great amontillado: a dark golden hue, a nose of roasted almonds and dried fruit, and a full body matched by a wonderfully refreshing acidity.

Unlike sherry, which is based on the Palomino Fino grape, the wines from Montilla-Moriles have Pedro Ximènez as their foundation. Rich in sugars but also delicate and fresh, the grape thrives in the extreme summer heat there, and because of the region’s lower humidity, reaches a phenolic ripeness grapes in Jeréz can’t.

Barquero, founded in 1905, is all about tradition, and they still age their wines in tinajas, large earthenware or concrete vessels that can hold up to 10,000 liters and keep their contents cooler than wooden barrels or stainless steel.

Lush and racy at the same time, this wine pairs beautifully with dessert and so much more—it’s a brilliant partner for Spanish charcuterie, a chunk of aged Manchego, or even a fresh slab of foie gras.