As of 2012, the rules applicable to the Consejo Regulador say that Amontillado should be naturally dry and can no longer be sweetened. It is slightly higher in alcohol than a Fino: between 16º and 22º (the older it is, the higher the natural alcohol volume will be due to concentration and evaporation). While Amontillado is a fundamentally dry style of sherry, it is often lightly sweetened for certain export markts. The fusion of two different aging processes makes Amontillado wines extraordinarily complex and intriguing and a wonderful wine to pair with food. It is characterized by nutty aromas, tobacco, aromatic herbs and often ethereal, polished notes of oak. While still having hints of flor, it will be less fresh and citrusy than a Fino but with more elegance and structure. It is one of the most complex, refined styles of sherry.Īmontillado oxidises in a slow and controlled way, exposed to oxygen through the slightly porous oak, and gains a darker colour and richer flavour than Fino. This can result in spicy notes and sometimes a leathery tobacco note. The older an Amontillado gets, the stronger the wood influence will become. Some will display more flor character (sharper, leaner) while others will have a bigger influence of the oxidative phase (rounder, more pastry-like). There is a wide range of Amontillado styles. Some of the most renowned Amontillados include Viña AB (Gonzalez Byass), Tio Diego (Valdespino) and Napoleon (Hidalgo)
Most of the time though, the flor is intentionally “killed”, simply by fortifying the wine (a second time) to above 17 degrees of alcohol. A cask of Fino is considered to be Amontillado as soon as the layer of flor stops developing because the flor can’t find enough nutrients in the wine to survive. After this initial maturation (usually two to eight years) a second period of maturation starts in which the wine is exposed to oxygen (without flor). Amontillado sherry starts its life as a Fino or Manzanilla, characterized by biological ageing under flor, a layer of yeast that lives on top of the wine surface.
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