Monte Haro Dulce 1952

Wine: Monte Haro Dulce 1952

Winery: Federico Paternina (Ollauri, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 70% Viura, 30% Malvasía Riojana, Garnacha Blanca, and other local varieties.
ABV: [Not specified]
Winemaking

Grapes sourced primarily from estate-owned vineyards and from the "cabezadas" (upper sections) of red grape plots belonging to various local growers. Initial fermentation took place in foundational-era oak vats for 18 months before being racked for aging. Depending on the vintage, it remained for 36 to 48 months in seasoned American oak barrels of various sizes, mainly 225 liters. Bottled directly from the cask in the late 1950s. A minimum of 36 months of bottle aging in the winery’s underground cellars was completed prior to release. No vintage indication on the label; sourced from a specific batch dated to that year.

 

Tasting Notes 

 

Appearance: Dark amber-hued, very dense and glyceric, forming large, permanent legs (tears). It shows copper and reddish highlights.

 

Nose: Aromas of great maturity—candied and featuring a significant presence of noble woods and ultra-fine toasted nuances: vanillic and creamy. This sweet wine surprises with its abundance of dried fruits: apricots, pineapple syrup, candied quince, and roasted apple, with a citrus-driven background of orange zest biscuits, German butter brioche, and lemon brine. Powerful and unfaltering, it shyly reveals secondary notes of scrubland herbs, sage, mulberry leaf, and a soft oxidative rancio from high-quality old soleras. It gives the impression of continuing to age with immense dignity.

 

Palate: The initial sensation of sweetness is immediately countered by a fresh, highly citric acidity that brings the whole ensemble to life. Supple, savory, and extraordinarily spicy; high-toned (acídulo), toasty, and vibrant, packed with sensations of raisins and macerated plums. It is difficult to fully assess these wines due to their uniqueness and the lack of modern benchmarks: a pending subject for many tasters. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Monte Haro is one of those legendary, now-defunct brands that Federico Paternina produced for decades—initially as sweet wines, later as semi-sweet, and to a lesser extent as abocados (off-dry). If Rioja was capable of crafting world-class white wines, it was equally adept at producing magnificent sweet wines. In our memory remain the Viña Zaconia Abocado 6º Año, Monte Real Semidulce Reserva, the old Diamante Reserva, Corona Semidulce, and all those Cepa Sauternes from the first half of the 20th century.

 

Personal Score: 94
Tasting Group Score: 95

Etiqueta del vino blanco Cepa Sauternes de Paternina, Monte Haro Gran Reserva, posteriormente comercializado como dulce, semidulce y blanco seco.