At a glance

Producer

De la Riva

Region

Jerez, Andalucía, Spain

Grape variety

Palomino Fino

Wine type

Fortified

Body

Full-bodied and Bold

Sweetness

Dry

Typical price

€120-€150 (750ml, release price range, boutique allocation)

Tasting profile

Nutty, saline, walnut, toasted hazelnut, dried orange peel, marine iodine, piercing acidity.

Evolution: Over next 5-10 years: complexity will deepen, oxidative and saline notes integrate, more tertiary dried fruit and toffee emerge.

At peak: At peak, expected to show remarkable harmony of savory, oxidative, and bright salt-mineral drive.

Structure

Acidity

Medium-high; pronounced freshness balancing oxidative dryness

Tannins

None (white sherry; structure from extraction and oxidation, not tannin)

Alcohol

Typically 18-20% abv (fortified)

Aging potential

Exceptional; structured Amontillado built for long-term cellaring

Drinking window

Peak drinking

2033 to 2045

Optimal window

2029 to 2050

Current status

Pre-release, ultra-young, expected to develop depth with time.

Current condition

Tightly wound; showing oxidative notes and very brisk salinity; needs time to integrate intensity.

This style of Amontillado (‘Superiorísimo’) is bottled from old soleras, intended for long bottle aging after many years in cask. The 2023 vintage, from a highly allocated release, will show best after 10+ years as integration occurs and subtlety emerges from the trademark saline core.

Food pairing

Jamon Iberico de Bellota, aged Manchego, Marcona almonds, smoked eel, umami-rich Asian cuisine, morels in sherry cream.

Serving

Decant

Not required

Sustainability

Sustainability score: 8/10

Hand-harvesting, dry-farming in albariza soils; minimal irrigation; responsible vineyard stewardship; glass bottle, natural cork, fully recyclable packaging; low-intervention aging.

De la Riva embraces heritage Jerez terroir and dry-farming—an environmentally positive approach. While not certified organic, their minimal input viticulture, lower water use, and small-scale production set an example in Andalusian sustainability. Lack of formal certification is offset by genuine, codified stewardship of old vineyards and resource-efficient cellar aging. Export to global markets raises footprint, but batch scale keeps impact modest.