Casta Diva Cosecha Miel 2014

The first sweet Moscatel was the 2014 Casta Diva Cosecha Miel, fermented with indigenous yeasts and fortified with alcohol to stop the fermentation so it could be bottled, with 160 grams of sugar and 13.5% alcohol. It was kept in oak barrels from America, France, Hungary and the Caucasus before it was bottled. This is so honeyed that the name has never made more sense (miel is the Spanish word for honey). You can notice a riper, warmer vintage; it's sweet, with moderate acidity, and with moderate alcohol to make it easier to drink. It develops aromas of candied orange peel with time in the glass. 20,000 bottles produced. There are three lots bottled at slightly different times.

This a classic: a delightfully rich and complex sweet wine, made from Moscatel but with none of the simple grapey sweetness. The selection and the ageing in oak have elicited a layered confection of dried fruits, honey, caramel, sweet spice and oranges. Among the other Moscatels, seek out the delicate Tío Raimundo: it’s aged under flor, like – but unlike – Sherry.