Lewis Chester

9.1

2004 vintage. Medium lemon hue. Great nose. Quite mature - white flowers, asparagus, body odour, earthy, slight oxidation, gooseberry. Oakwood - vanilla, honeysuckle. Some nuttiness here - oxidation? Wet leaf character. On the palate, high acidity, medium plus concentration and medium body and long persistent finish. This wine is in a good place - doubt it will improve further. Already mature. But very enjoyable. 91/100. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.1

15year. At The Ledbury - paired with dessert. Aromas of Molasses, vanilla essence, vanilla cream, sweet spices, old oakwood. On the palette, medium plus body, quite warming, good length. Flavours of Demerara sugar, caramel and burned sugar, caramelised pineapple and vanilla sauce. Very good and excellent pairing with chocolate dessert. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.4

49 La Bota de Amontillado. Medium mahogany- looks more like an Oloroso than an Amontillado, which gives some indication of extreme ageing. The nose is not as I was expecting. It's deep, slightly reductive, hints of caramel, seaweed, wet pebbles, old oakwood- very unusual and inviting. It's very viscous on the glass - the tears are staining. On the palate, it's very powerful but not in an over-done way. Lots of salinity, rancid savoury character - iodine and charcoal / graphite. The semblance of acidity appears to be off the charts - my mouth is watering like crazy. (Not sure if this is actual acidity as deliberate oxidised sherries aren't necessarily known for raging acidity.) There's a sour bitterness here that is very powerful and might not be liked by everybody. The finish goes on for ages. This is a connoisseur fortified wine - I am sure the average punter will hate this as the flavour profile is so uniquely different. Therefore only drink with sherry-heads. For sheer uniqueness it gets a high score. — 10 years ago