Bodegas Tradicion Fino Viejo Tradicion Jerez - 750ml

93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

I also got a last-minute bottle of the Saca Mayo 2019 of the NV Fino Tradición, which had just been bottled, and it really felt like I was drinking it straight from the bota. In fact, the palate had some tenderness that I didn't notice in the other bottlings, and the word that came to my head when drinking it was spherical, a round wine with no edges, especially after it had been in the glass for a couple of hours. The way to compare these bottlings is to pour a glass of each and follow its evolution for a couple of hours, because otherwise it's difficult to see the differences straight away. This looks like another epic bottling of the old Fino from Tradición. (LG)

92pts Wine & Spirits

Tradición is famed for its collection of very old wines, shepherded in a tight, dry style. In this Fino Tradición, the wines average 10 to 12 years old, double the usual age. It is firm, strong in acidity and minerality; rather than fruit, what you will smell here are stones and salt sea. Although it’s not labeled as a Fino en rama, they treat it like one, with only a slight filtration before bottling, sustaining the wine’s enveloping, unctuous body. For gambas al ajillo.

91pts Wine Spectator

Shows some oomph for a fino, with singed almond, dried lemon peel and quinine notes that streak through, backed by citrus oil and walnut hints on the finish.

Importer Notes
Notes of brown butter, lemons and rich, old flor define this wine, which is deeply flavored, elegant, long and waiting for any number of food pairings. It sort of reminds one of the Jerezano equivalent of a fine, barrel fermented Champagne, with years of aging on the lees in bottle. Such is the richness, intensity and flavor authority of this older Fino. Founded in 1998 by construction magnate Joaquín Rivera, Bodegas Tradición focuses exclusively on very old Sherry. Having come from a family with deep roots in the region and the Sherry business dating back to the 17th century, Rivera did not set up the bodega as a profit-making enterprise, but rather purchased old soleras from the likes of Domecq as he wanted to ensure their survival, and by extension the continuity and cultural import of his home town's most famous industry. This current bottling is from the Saca of May 2019.