The Patricia Estate
The company Aragón y Cía. was founded in 1946, but the winery itself has been in operation since at least 1877. A prize awarded at the Córdoba wine exhibition of that year documents that the winery was producing wine at that date, and it's more than likely that the installations were in operation well before 1877. Situated in Lucena in the province of Córdoba, the Aragón cellars hold some 2,500 "botas" (500 liter oak barrels) using the "solera" system to convert fresh white wine from Pedro Ximénez grapes into the typical "finos", "amontillados" and "olorosos" of Montilla-Moriles.
The Patricia Vineyards
As is the case with most Montilla-Moriles producers, Aragón is an ageing cellar and does not own vineyards. The vineyards of the region are mainly Pedro Ximénez (PX) grapes (over 80%). The region's dry hot climate allows the naturally high sugar PX grapes to attain up to 17º alcohol potential. This means the wines produced here do not generally require the addition of alcohol (fortification), which is necessary for sherries. Aragón's expert tasters carefully select fresh, recently fermented PX wines, which are then transferred to the cellars for long periods of "solera" ageing.
Montilla-Moriles in the province of Cordoba, in Andalucía. The D.O spreads over 10,200 hectares (25,194 acres) of vines planted on limestone soils, at 300-600 meters above seal level.
Kysela Pere et Fils, LTD imports three styles of their Patricia sherry: Fino, Amontillado and Cream (the Cream is more like a P.X. Reserve).
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A brooding and intense wine. The aromas begin with notes of blueberry, cassis, a hint of lavender followed by a myriad of exotic spices, some hazelnut, thyme and an element of licorice. Firm, mature tannins—evidence of Ten's ageability—are followed by a long, velvety finish.
'Ma Belle-Fille' was named by Sir Peter as a warm tribute to Emily Michael, his "Daughter-in-Law", and mother of the third generation of the family. Planted at the highest elevation on the estate, the marine influence on Ma Belle-Fille vineyard is greater, resulting in cooler daily temperatures in the summer and autumn months. Situated above the summer fog ceiling and exposed to the southeast, the vineyard receives the very first rays of sunshine each morning and remains sunny all day long. This full exposure, combined with cooler temperatures, causes the fruit to mature earlier than the rest of our estate.
Vintage Notes
The combination of a wet winter with significant rains in December through March and cool weather delayed budbreak nearly a month. Flowering and fruit set were also pushed back and the weather during the later flowering was favorable resulting in decent fruit set and slightly above average yields for the Chardonnay vineyards—a marked improvement over the record-low yielding 2022 vintage. The growing season was temperate without major heat spikes allowing the berries to hold onto their acidity which carried through into the wines. Harvest was almost a month later than normal with the last Belle Cote block coming in on November 2nd.
At the highest elevation on the estate, the marine influence on Ma Belle-Fille is greater, resulting in cooler daily temperatures in the summer and autumn months. Situated far above the summer fog ceiling and exposed to the southeast, the vineyard receives the very first rays of sunshine each morning and remains sunny all day long. This full exposure, combined with cooler temperatures, causes the fruit to mature earlier than the rest of our estate.
Beautifully perfumed with layers of honeysuckle, jasmine and dried orange peel accented by apricot, vanilla cream and spring flower notes, the 2023 ‘Ma Belle-Fille’ delivers with a rich, creamy entry and generous, structured mid-palate showing great drive and intensity with a long, mouth-watering finish. A truly special wine from an extraordinary vintage.
Review:
So delicious and drinkable from the first whiff to the lingering finish. An uber-chardonnay that packs in all the richness of fruit and smooth spiciness of oak fermentation, with vibrant acidity and a silky texture. Well balanced in a cool, ideal vintage and a great candidate for aging longer term. Drinkable now and best from 2030.
James Suckling 99 Points