Super-Rare Vintage Sherry
-Singular Refinement and Intensity
Bodegas Tradición Oloroso Añada 1970
250 Bottles Released
Today we present one of sherry's great rarities - a single vintage Oloroso bottled at 42 years of age.
Sherry is mostly about soleras and blending, but today we turn that notion on its head.
We're happy to offer Bodegas Tradición Oloroso Añada 1970. It's sourced from a single bota (barrel) which allowed only 250 bottles to be produced.
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Añadas, or single vintage sherries, are incredibly rare and a singular expression of the category.There's no way around it that this is not an inexpensive bottle, but when you factor in the rarity, age and profundity of the wine it seems more than fair.
The wines that find their way into añada wines are most often from the best vintages and the finest botas of wine. They are then sealed and can only be opened in the presence of the consejo regulador (the regulatory council) and the barrels can only be topped up with wines from the same vintage.
Evaporation is around 4% per year. After 40+ years in barrel, the evaporation and concentration is serious (think of a loss of somewhere around 45-50%).
Bodegas Tradición is one of our favorite bodegas in all of sherry. They are unyielding in their approach, and it shows in their sherries. Each and every wine is a superlative example of its category. The bodega was founded by Joaquín Rivero Valcarce, who treated the bodega to lavish funding to pay tribute to the heights that sherry can reach. With the help of sherry insiders, Tradición amassed a collection of choice barrels of old sherry and put them in a historic bodega.
The quality here comes into clear focus in their añada wines. I've tasted the two Tradición añadas that have been released, the Oloroso '75 and '70, many times in lineups that have included the best wines that sherry has to offer. Each time, the añadas have stood out for their single-minded elegance and intensity of focus and delineation. Each time, too, the entire table has been very moved by Tradicion's añadas.
The Oloroso '70 is a wine that, when given some air, explodes from the glass. The combination of concentration and noble refinement can be mind-bending. There's so much length and finesse that it makes its greatness known unequivocally.
Añadas make up a tiny fraction of sherry's total production. They also represent some of the most regal and individual drinking experiences out there. Unlike the rest of sherry where there's a continuity with soleras that were founded over a hundred years ago, when the barrels that house the añada wines are gone, that's it. Tradicion's great 1975 Oloroso is gone for good. The 1970 will follow suit soon enough. This is a beautiful and singular expression of sherry. And sadly the clock is ticking.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits