This dulce is the ultimate expression of Monastrell, with tremendous concentration, persistence and balance.
A landscape in a glass.
Current vintage.- 2020
Blend.- 100% Monastrell
Harvest & Elaboration.- We allow the oldest vines of the estate to retain their fruit late into the autumn each year. Once the grapes begin to raisin, they can reach astonishing levels of richness. When everything works perfectly, perhaps 5-6 years per decade, we are able to make our signature dessert wine.
Partial fermentation, more than 30 days of maceration with skins.
Wood aging.- No wood aging.
Tasting note.- This Dulce is the ultimate expression of Monastrell, with tremendous concentration, persistence and balance.
Cherry-red color, with carmine and maroon tones. Complex smelling, the aroma of figs, dates and ripe fruits can be smelled with intensity and freshness.
Food pairing.- It combines perfectly with all kind of desserts, specially those made with chocolate, and for contrast, with blue and aged cheeses.
Tech sheet.-
- Alcohol content: 16% vol.
- Total acidity: 5,3 gr/l (tartaric a.)
- Volatile acidity: 0,17 gr/l (acetic acid)
- Sugar content: 260 gr/l aprox.
Ratings and Reviews
2000 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate #152 April 2004
- 93 rating “…offering loads of black fruits, licorice, tar, and earthy undertones…”
2001 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate #159 Jun 2005
- 93 rating “…this dulce is a intriguing after dinner drink…wonderful intensity, and vibrant acidity as well as freshness…”
2003 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate #169 Feb 2007
- 92 rating “…blackberry liqueur and raisins, vibrant acidity, superb concentration, and a long, pure finish…”
- Review: Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
- 93 rating
2004 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate #175 Feb 2008
- 92 rating “…the wine has lots of flavor and a lengthy finish. It is a very good value in sweet wine…”
- Review: Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
- 92 rating “…fresh acidity keeps the sweetness in check and adds energy and focus to the long finish…”
2006 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate #188 Apr 2010
- 91 rating
- Review: Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar
- 93 rating “…a creamy, emphatically sweet wine that is enlivened by zesty acidity. Far more energetic than most late-harvest wines…”
2008 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate
- 90 rating
- Review: Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar #153 Nov/dec 2010
- 92 rating “Opaque purple. Succulent dark berry preserve and candied blueberry on the nose, with hints of violet and smoked meat adding complexity. Sweet and expansive but focused, with tangy acidity buffering the lush, sappy black and blue fruit flavors. Very sweet but surprisingly light on its feet, with excellent finishing punch and a lingering spiciness. This wine’s blend of decadent sweetness and vivacity is always intriguing.”
2010 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate
- 92 rating “It has the telltale Olivares Dulce nose of black olives, thyme and ripe tomatoes. Very intense and fresh, high-toned, with tension. The elegant, velvety palate is full-bodied, sweet and persistent, with a special freshness that makes it unique. Experiment with cheese rather than with sweet desserts. Very drinkable. It will probably evolve and last for a very long time. This is the benchmark for the sweet red wines of the region.”
- Review: Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar #164 Sept/Oct 2012
- 92 rating “Inky purple. Heady aromas of cassis, blueberry preserves, violet and lavender are expansive and extrikingly precise. Dark berry liqueur flavors show intense sweetness but maintain freshness thanks to gentle inerality and tangy acidity. Lush but lively, finishing with sweet boysenberry and blueberry notes and excellent lenght.”
2011 vintage
- Review: Wine Advocate #217 Feb 2015
- 91 rating “Produced with fruit from ungrafted, 50year old Monastrell vines that were handharvested in late October/early November, the wine starts fermenting with indigenous yeast and fortified to stop fermentation. It’s bottled completely unoaked the June after the harvest and aged for two years in bottle before being sold. It has a complex nose of black olives, tomato vine and balsamic herbs.”
- Review: VINOUS Jan-2016
- 92 rating“Brilliant purple. Focused ripe, spice-accented black and
blue fruit aromas, with hints of woodsmoke and cracked pepper. Smooth, sweet and expansive on the palate, offering plush, sappy blueberry
liqueur, fruitcake and a suggestion of bitter chocolate. Closes smooth,
spicy and very long, with a lingering exotic Indian spice flourish.”
