Osborne La Honda Fino En Rama 500ml (16% ABV) — 94.3
SF | Generous rich gold colour, Titian armour in the sun; lovely nose of walnut, fig and bacon rind; umami and vestigial fruit do battle over the pickings of autolytic splendour. Impressive concentration and focus; age shall not wither this eloquent statement of timeless splendour. Nor vainglorious descriptors, their short spell soon forgotten in the face of such irrepressive quality... 95
AJ | Deep gold Tangy, rich, just slightly heavy, with plenty of shoulder; missing a little of the diagnostic freshness. With time in the glass, this improves, and after 30 minutes there is better lift and charm, though the fatness beneath still disconcerts. Ditto on the palate. But really this is a fino well on the way to being a fino-amontillado, so it needs to be seen in that light. Of course it won't have the same freshness -- but one sip just drills down and through the tongue and then comes back up again and sits there for a minute or more, glowing and unshackling. You won't find the same fresh, textural yeast elements but it has extraordinary driving, shattering concentration and pungency. Unique, ferocious; an essential waymark in the wine world.Drink Dates: 2024 - 2025. 92
DW | Enchanting creamy complexity with vanilla, coffee and darkly roasted nuts, so complete and harmonious on the palate, with a surge of creamily textured flavour: butter of both the traditional salted dairy kind and the more modern nut-based variety, and a long, all-embracing, comforting finish to a wine of glorious richness and harmony.Drink Dates: 2024 - 2025. 96