Fondillón 1996

Produced by Bodega Monóvar in DO Alicante, Fondillón is a one-of-a-kind Spanish semi-sweet wine aged for a period of 20 years in centenary American oak barrels. 

With over five centuries of history, the Fondillón was for many years the most treasured and expensive wine in Europe. To give just one example, the price list of a leading wine merchant from the XIXth century shows that a hectolitre of top Fondillón costed five times the price of a top Port, four times the price of a top Sherry, and three times the price of a top Madeira.

Although Fondillón is produced in an oxidized style like Sherry or Port, this semi-sweet wine from Alicante (called «vino embocado» or «vino abocado» in Spanish) is not fortified after fermentation; this means that it is made solely from naturally overripen Monastrell grapes.

Planted at around 600 metres of altitude in soils composed of rocks and limestone, the over 80-year-old vines were hand-harvested and meticulously selected. Alcoholic fermentation of Fondillón from Bodega Monóvar lasted 3 weeks, with frequent pump-overs. Once the alcohol content reached 16 to 18%, with about 30 grams of sugar per litre, the process was stopped.

After that, Fondillón 1996 was transferred into centenary American oak barrels and aged for a period of 20 years.

This exquisite Fondillón-one of the very few wines with its own proper name, like Port, Sherry or Cognac-is excellent as an aperitif, paired with dark chocolate desserts or as an after-dinner drink.

More generally, this is the definitive meditation wine.