Today I am sipping Bodegas Hildago La Gitana’s Amontillado Napoleon. Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana was founded in 1792. It’s been in the same family since that time and now the 8th generation is running the company. The founder was named Don José Pantaleón Hidalgo. They are very well-known for their Manzanilla but I was tasting their Amontillado. They use their own grapes to make their wines. This wine goes through an initial phase under flor and then an oxidative phase.

In the 19th century, the Bodega sold its wines to both official French and British troops, hence the name of the wine. It’s made with Palomino fino grown on white Albariza soils. It goes through the Criaderas and the Solera system which are made of American oak. I found it salty and minerally with good acidity, dried nut and fruit aromas and flavors. I found it soft and sexy. It had 17.5% alcohol but it was great with broiled Salmon with dill seed and a little lemon juice. It was a lovely change of pace.