Professional Ratings

• 96 Wine & Spirits
  “Fino Amontillado” is a style of Sherry that’s virtually extinct. It was made from old wines that had almost lost their flor and had begun to oxidize, their color darkening as they gained depth and complexity. Although La Panesa is not, strictly speaking, a Fino Amontillado, it has the characteristics of those wines from the past. With an average of 15 years of aging in solera (ten more than most Finos), it takes the lifespan of flor to the limit, creating a wine that’s intoxicating in its mineral and dried-fruit fragrance. Bone dry, saline flavors drive the wine from beginning to end, their abundance leaving no room for sweetness. This is the definition of verticality and elegance.
• 95 Decanter

  This small producer in Jerez does not seek publicity but is worth tracking down. All the wines are excellent and several exceptional. The complex La Panesa is one for the grown-ups, at the very limit of flor ageing, at an average 15 years old.

• 95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  The Fino La Panesa N/V is a reference for old Fino, pushing the limits of biological aging. Bottled at an impressive old age of 15 years from a solera created in 1961, it shows a deep golden color and a nose full of dried nuts (hazelnuts), elegant, complex and balanced, with intense salinity, pungent flavors, a full, wide palate and great length. This is a superb example of how to control the power of very old, biological Sherries. As with most of the NV wines, its impossible to distinguish the different bottlings so it"s hard to give a drinking window, because you"ll not know how old the bottle you have is, but the wine has the stuffing to last and even improve for a good five years. This is one of the greatest Finos in existence today."

• 92 Wine Spectator
  Shows lots of range, featuring singed persimmon, dried nectarine, walnut and green tea notes, with a long bitter almond note on the finish. A big fino with invigorating acidity.
• 90 Wine Enthusiast
  Tan in color and elegant beyond what's normal, this high-end fino shows full, complex aromas of honey, citrus, rancio, dried gouda cheese and nuttiness. It feels both easy and fresh, with dry, intense flavors of citrus and almond. Long and smooth on the finish, with zero burn or bite.