"Benchmark Montilla Oloroso"
-Luis Gutierrez
La Bota Oloroso "Montilla" #46
The people behind La Bota have a very deep knowledge of Sherry and Montilla, impressive connections and sharp palates. Everything you taste from them makes this clear.
But sometimes you taste a La Bota release that slaps you across the face with how impressive their selections are.
For me, it's their dry Montilla wines that dramatize this in the most astounding way. Honestly, it messes with my head. This point has been driven home by their two recent releases, the Fino-Amontillado #45 and the Oloroso #46.
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We offered the #45 last week. Today we focus on the Oloroso #46 at $72.95 per bottle.
As with their other Montilla releases, the Oloroso #46 is sourced from Pérez Barquero, one of the region's benchmark producers.
To return to Luis Gutierrez's comment that #46 is "Benchmark Montilla Oloroso," the wine shows a combination of layered complexity and refinement that's astonishing. It boasts somewhere around 25-30 years of average age, which you feel in the concentration and multifaceted, never-ending finish.
While not technically part of the Sherry Triangle, Montilla shares the same styles of wine, the solera system and has the same chalky, white albariza soils (called albero in Montilla.) The big difference is that the PX grape reigns in Montilla, even for dry wines. (In Sherry country, it's Palomino for dries and PX for sweets. The latter imported from Montilla.) The wines of Montilla show more power and rusticity than the Sherry Triangle proper.
What makes the #46 so astonishing is how it takes the richness and raw power that's inherent to Montilla Oloroso and harnesses it to create something that boarders on epic in terms of texture and nuance yet is shockingly elegant. This is an amazing feat.
For me, this is a game-changing expression of Montilla Oloroso. It shows just how sharp the La Bota people are. Not that we needed more evidence, but here it is.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits