Montilla-Moriles is a one-and-a-half-hour drive north from the coastal town of Malaga. This is the region of Andalucía, known for its olives, olive oil and oranges and for some of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Andalucía has always made wines as well, but it is a hot and dry region, and for a long time, it was known only for its fortified wines from Jerez (Sherry) and Malaga. Now, excellent non-fortified wines are made, both red and white. Producers manage this partly through plantings at high altitudes; Spain is a very mountainous country.

This article, however, is about a wine region in Andalucía that has existed for quite some time. The wines are not fortified, but they are still very traditional Andalusian. The region is Montilla-Moriles, and the wines are similar to the ones we find in Jerez but with some very significant differences.

In 1933, Montilla-Moriles became its own independent wine-producing region and was designated a DO, denominación de origen. 17 municipalities make up the appellation, which covers nearly 10,000 acres. Important towns are Montilla, Moriles, Aguilar de la Frontera and Lucena.

A “venenciador” sampling wine from barrel at Bodegas Toro Albala in Montilla-Moriles, copyright ... [+] BKWine Photography

One of the most important producers here is Bodegas Toro Albalá. José María Toro Albalá founded Bodegas Toro Albalá in 1922, so last year, 2022, the bodega celebrates its 100 years. An opportunity to taste some incredibly old wines.

The Sherry region is not that close; it is about 125 miles from Montilla-Moriles. But it is impossible not to compare the two areas. There are strong ties between them; think for example of the word amontillado, which comes from Montilla. The wine styles are similar. Montilla-Moriles also makes fino, amontillado, oloroso, PX, etc. The wines develop flor (the yeast film on the surface of the wine in partially filled barrels) and are aged in soleras.

A partially filled wine barrel can develop flor in Montilla-Moriles, similar to in the sherry ... [+] district, copyright BKWine Photography

Montilla-Moriles also, like Jerez, has the chalky, dazzling white limestone soil. It is good soil for this climate because it absorbs water and moisture that the roots can assimilate during the hot summer.

But there are interesting differences. Montilla-Moriles is one of the sunniest and warmest parts of Spain, and thus, it is warmer here than in Jerez. The wines from Montilla-Moriles are naturally high in alcohol, and they are not fortified (except sometimes the sweet ones). The main grape is pedro ximénez, a white grape found on 95% of the surface.

It is a grape with good resistance to the high summer temperatures and lack of water. It is harvested fully ripe and fermented to an alcohol content of around 15.5–16%. In Montilla-Moriles, this grape is used for both dry and sweet wines. Pedro ximénez is also found in Jerez but is used for sweet sherry.

Vineyards in the chalky white soil in Montilla-Moriles, similar to the sherry district, copyright ... [+] BKWine Photography

Before 1933, much of the wine from Montilla-Moriles was sent to Jerez to be blended with sherry. Some pedro ximénes used in Jerez still come from Montilla-Moriles. The grape does not thrive nearly as well in the coastal sherry region.

When the grapes are used for sweet wines (called Pedro Ximénes or PX), they undergo a drying process. The bunches are harvested by hand and dried for a number of days out in the sun. When they have reached a certain maturity, the grapes are pressed, and the must ferments as usual.

Bodegas Toro Albalá and indeed the whole of Montilla-Moriles is best known for its sweet wines. And these are truly fantastic wines. But the dry wines are something to discover. So similar to sherry and yet different.

The barrel cellar at Bodegas Toro Albalá in Montilla-Moriles, copyright BKWine Photography

The grape in all the wines is pedro ximénes.

Poley, Fino del Lagar en Rama, Solera 10 años, Bodegas Toro Albalá, DO Montilla-Moriles

A fino from Montilla-Moriles is a little different. The flor that forms is thinner and does not eat as much of the glycerol as in Jerez. The result is a wine that is a little less dry than a sherry-fino, it is slightly softer with less intensity but more body. You still feel that it is a fino and it is delicious.

Palo Cortade en Rama, Solera 25 años

Aromas of nuts, lemon peel, apricot; there’s great intensity; it is dry with lovely freshness and some saltiness. It is slightly oxidized. Superb. Palo cortado is a wine that loses its flor early and starts oxidative ageing instead. This wine has been aged in this way for 25 years.

Poley Fino del Lagar en Rama, 10 years, Bodegas Toro Albalá, copyright BKWine Photography

Marques de Poley Olorosa en Rama Solera 15 años

This dry oloroso is incredibly flavourful and full-bodied in an oxidized style. A bit like a more powerful fino.

Marques de Poley, Amontillado Selección 1951

This amontillado has developed from some of the best fino wines. When the wine lost its flor after 10–15 years, a long oxidative ageing began in 1951. So, the vintage indicates when the oxidative ageing began. Beautiful amber colour, very aromatic and complex, hazelnuts, apricot and ripe plums, oxidized and yet refreshing as only an amontillado can be—a very dry and exciting wine with great character.

Marque's de Poley, Palo Cortade Selección 1964

Powerful and intense with a taste of saffron, lemon peel, tobacco and nuts. Fresh with a hint of bitterness. Very drinkable and elegant. Amazing wine.

Don PX Selección 1968, Bodegas Toro Albalá, copyright BKWine Photography

Toro Albalá’s cellars hide some very old wines. A few were selected for our tasting in honour of the 100th anniversary:

Palo Cortade Centenario Single Cask

A single cask, 300 bottles of very, very old wine. Taste of almonds, a little caramel, a particular saltiness, quite pronounced bitterness, a little sharp on the palate.

An incredible amontillado with a long and rich taste. Very powerful and concentrated. Bone dry with some saltiness and bitterness.

Don PX Centenario Single Cask

PX stands for sweet wine. Here, ageing more than a hundred years has given an aroma of tobacco leaves and caramel and high volatile acidity. It is full-bodied and very sweet though it feels less sweet than its over 400 grams of sugar per litre.

Incredibly concentrated, a sugar bomb with a taste of dried figs in particular.

100 Centenario Don PX Single Cask, and Amontillado Single Cask, Bodegas Toro Albalá, copyright ... [+] BKWine Photography

Under the guidance of Fatima Ceballos, one of Toro Albalá’s winemakers, we tasted a brand-new series of wines that have been vinified as “regular” wines without flor. “This is a completely new project,” says Fatima. “We wanted to exploit pedro ximénes’ potential for dry wines and also discover and exploit different vineyards within the appellation. We fill the casks completely to avoid the formation of flor, we age it in new oak barrels and partly in clay amphorae, and we do batonnage every week.”

2020 was the first vintage, as an experiment that was very successful. The volume is small, between 1200 and 4000 bottles per wine.

Fatima Ceballos, winemaker, and Antonio Sorgato Godeau, export manager, at Bodegas Toro Albalá, ... [+] copyright BKWine Photography

Miut El Jabonero, Bodegas Toro Albala

Fresh citrus aroma, fresh herbs, powerful and mouth-filling, a little buttery. Delicious, fresh, long taste. Fermentation in 500-litre oak barrels (85%) and terracotta amphora (15%). Ageing on the lees with batonnage for ten months.

Miut Santa Magdalena 2020, Bodegas Toro Albala

Apricot, fresh almonds, and fresh, high acidity and a long finish, a bit toasty. Full-bodied. Grapes from Moriles Alto, a region with a very hot and sunny climate. But a very reasonable alcohol degree of 13%.

Miut El Jaboner, Sta Magdalena, L’Assemblage, Bodegas Toro Albalá, copyright BKWine Photography

Miut l'Assemblage, Bodegas Toro Albalá, DO Montilla-Moriles

Very fresh in taste, despite low acidity. Fermentation in steel tanks and ageing on the lees for seven months. Powerfully structured wine with a lovely mouth feel, fresh apricots and a dry finish.

I ask Antonio Sorgato Godeau, export manager at Bodegas Toro Albalá, what his immediate plans are. “I want the whole of Montilla-Moriles to become better known, and I want people to understand, not only the sweet wines but also the dry ones, fino not least. And that these wines, even though they don’t have a vintage on the label, still age for a long time. And that they are unique.”

Bodegas Toro Albalá exports 90% of its production to 72 countries.

US importer is Ted Wynot, The Sorting Table in Napa, California.