Bodegas 501 Gades Amontillado Viejisimo VORS Sherry: The Final Bottles

Bodegas 501 no longer exists! The winery owed a significant amount of back taxes, over 16 Million Euros, and the company was eventually seized and put up for auction. So, a Sherry like that pictured above, will no longer be produced. It's now a dwindling supply and if you want to obtain their Sherries, you should act now.

The origins of Bodegas 501 extend back to 1783, making it one of the oldest wineries in Spain, when Pascual Moreno Mora founded a winery in the town of El Puerto de Santa Maria. In 1875, King Alfonso XII granted the winery the title of Supplier of the Royal Household, which provided them fame, especially for their brandies. In 1941, the firm Carlos y Javier de Terry, S.L. was established. Around 1993, Pedro Torres and his partners purchased the winery, renaming it Bodegas 501 del Puerto, S.A. Since then, the winery made agreements with other companies, including the Osborne Group. 

Since 2016, Bodegas 501 owed taxes over 16 Million Euros, although they had already stopped producing wines, only continuing to make brandies. There were rumors that the taxes were due to alleged fraud in the payment of their taxes. The company was seized and their assets were auctioned off during the summer of 2021.  

The Bodegas 501 Gades Amontillado Viejisimo VORS Sherry (about $50-$65) is an Amontillado, a type of sherry which undergoes both biological and oxidative aging. They are commonly a light amber color, dry and nutty, with herbal and spice aspects. This is also a VORS Sherry, which refers to its aging category, and means "Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum" (Wine Selected as Optimal and Exceptional). The wine must be of an average age of at least 30 years, and undergo rigorous testing to ensure its high quality. 

However, this wine was sourced from a solera of 8 botas, Sherry barrels, each which held about 132 gallons each. The exact age of these botas was unknown so the average age of the sherry could actually be much longer than 30 years. Even if that age was known though, there isn't a designation higher than VORS. I've previously had a VORS Sherry, which had an average age of over 100 years, but on the label, it can only be said to be at least 30 years old.  

This Amontillado possessed a light amber color, with an alluring aroma. On the palate, it was dry and complex, with harmonious flavors of salted nuts, caramel, mild spices, and a touch of tobacco. It also possessed a lengthy and intriguing finish, providing much pleasure. As I slowly sipped the wine over the course of the evening, the wine evolved in the glass, with other complex flavors seem to peek out at times, making this a wine to savor slowly over time, relishing its fascinating profile. A superb sherry, which I would highly recommend.  

I previously purchased this sherry at Bin Ends in Needham, although it wasn't currently available there the last few times I've been there.