Woodstock McLaren Vale MV Very Old Fortified 500ml  £31.50

Woodstock McLaren Vale MV Very Old Fortified 500ml

From Woodstockwines.com.au...

Background
MV refers to Multi-Vintage, and this rare Tawny is an average age of about 23 years. Formerly known as Tawny Port, it holds a special place in the Woodstock stable. Wine industry pioneer Doug Collett made McLaren Vale Grenache and Shiraz fortifieds in the 1960s

Winemaking
Grenache and Shiraz ferments are fortified with the addition of grape spirit when about half of the natural sugar is fermented. The spirit kills yeast and preserves the remaining sweetness. The wine is clarified then matured in 100 to 300 litre oak casks for 20 years or more. Each year 4-5% is lost to evaporation from each barrel, but the luscious flavours evolve and concentrate as the wine matures.

The Wine
The red grape colours have precipitated away over time, leaving a true ‘tawny’ colour after two decades in barrel. A powerful and complex nose full of nuts, toffee, intense spice and fresh rancio characters reflect its age and complexity. On the palate, toffee, mocha, coffee and intense nuttiness all combine to create rich luscious flavours. The finish is long with lingering flavours of a fine very old fortified.

Serving Suggestion
An ideal digestive with cigars, coffee and chocolates or better still, one of The Coterie’s hazelnut and dark chocolate tart served with chocolate bark, vanilla ice-cream and scorched pistachio anglaise... it is to die for!

91 Parker Points

The MV Very Old Fortified is a blend of wines possessing a minimum of 20 years of age. Pale to medium amber brown, it gives an intensely nutty nose with notes of burnt caramel, toffee, preserved orange peel, dates and spice cake. Very crisp, sweet and rich with a full body, it’s got a pleasantly viscous texture and a long nutty finish.