NV Williams & Humbert - Jerez Dry Sack Medium Dry Sherry

Bodegas Williams & Humbert was founded in 1877 by Sir Alexander Williams and Arthur Humbert in Jerez de la Frontera, and remains one of the most storied names in Spanish fortified wine. The family-owned bodega farms more than a thousand acres of vineyards in the Jerez Superior zone and maintains one of the largest wine cellars in Europe, where traditional solera and criadera aging methods have been practiced for well over a century. Dry Sack, first produced in 1906, takes its name from the old English term for Jerez wines exported centuries ago.

This sherry is made primarily from Palomino grapes grown in the Pago Balbaína and Pago Carrascal vineyards, with a portion of Pedro Ximénez blended in for sweetness. The base wines are fortified after fermentation and then aged through the solera and criadera system, a method of gradually blending younger and older vintages, spending an average of six years maturing in American oak. The result is a married style built around an Amontillado backbone rounded out with Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez character.

The finished wine shows a bright amber color with aromas of toasted walnuts and roasted almonds, followed by flavors of caramel, dried apricot, and baked apple. It is medium-bodied with a gentle sweetness balanced by savory, nutty depth. It pairs well with cured cheeses, foie gras, or simple pastries, and also makes a good base for a sherry cocktail.