Once in a while, we all love a little something sweet. Wine is no exception. After a big meal, there’s nothing better than a little dessert wine to wash down your dinner and end the meal on a high note. Dessert wines are made all over the world, using various grapes and methods. However, Sherry wine isn’t sweet. In fact, most are dry. In Spain, Sherry wine is savored like a fine whiskey.
Sherry is one of the coolest, most versatile dessert wines of the world, but so often wine lovers steer clear of it because it can be a bit intimidating. That’s because Sherry, produced in several different styles in the hot, southern Spanish region of Jerez, has many personalities, not just a singular character. Three grapes may be used for the production of Sherry: Palomino Fino, which accounts for the majority of Sherry production, Pedro Ximénez (aka “PX”), and Moscatel. Sherry is also characterized by its unique solera aging system, in which older barrels of Sherry are topped up with younger wines from the system as wine is bottled from the oldest barrel, eventually leading to a blend of older and younger wines that technically contains wine from every single vintage since the solera system was first created.
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Best Spanish Dessert Wines Under $20
All Spanish dessert wines here are under $20 and earn at least 90+ points of good reviews.
Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva los Arcos Dry Amontillado Sherry, $15.99
Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva los Arcos Dry Amontillado Sherry is Sherry dessert wine from Jerez, Spain.
Emilio Lustau Solera Reserva los Arcos Dry Amontillado Sherry Winemaker Notes
A text book Amontillado of great maturity. Naturally dry and soft, its palate gives a hint of wood and smoky raisins. A powerful and distinctive nutty bouquet. A better Amontillado would be difficult to find.
The Los Arcos Amontillado is ideal as a warming aperitiff, with tapas, especially nuts and meats. It can also be served with a meal or any type of cold meat platter or richly flavored seafoods.
93 Points Critical Acclaimed by The Wine Advocate
The non-vintage Dry Amontillado Los Arcos Solera Reserva reveals a medium amber hue along with a nutty, honeyed, dry personality with great acid.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator
#82 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2012
A more flattering style, with an off-dry edge to the walnut paste, hazelnut, date and clove-studded orange notes, which show nice focus and zip on the finish.
Emilio Hidalgo Morenita Cream Sherry, $14.99
Emilio Hidalgo Morenita Cream Sherry is Sherry dessert wine from Jerez, Spain
Emilio Hidalgo Morenita Cream Sherry Winemaker Notes
This is a delicate style cream with hints of caramel, dried fruits and mocha on the nose. Smooth and elegant with well-balanced sweetness, it still manages to be refreshing.
Serve slightly chilled or on the rocks as an aperitif or enjoy with mildly rich meals.
91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator
This is bright for a cream Sherry, with green tea and singed ginger notes out front, providing heft to the date, raisin, caramel and charred bourbon barrel accents. The sleek finish lets the green tea edge reemerge, with well-embedded acidity for length.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Enthusiast
Smooth and sweet, like a cream Sherry is supposed to be. On the nose, this one easily shifts from ripe apricot and peach fruit to nuts and saline. The palate starts with a blast of coffee and mocha and then folds in brown sugar and spice. Sweet, long and generous, with accents of cinnamon, clove and mild chocolate. Uncomplicated, which for $13 is a virtue.
Alvear Montilla Cream, $15.99
Alvear Montilla Cream Winemaker Notes
Rich brown color. Wonderful nutty nose with hints of apricots. Gorgeous with subtle suggestions of flowers, dried fruit and toasted nuts, uncloying sweetness. Dark and creamy.
Made by combining a dry Oloroso with Pedro Ximenez sweet wine. Aged in 500L old American oak casks in a solera system for more than 10 years.
91 Points Critical Acclaimed The Wine Advocate
Alvear produces a non-vintage Cream, which is essentially a sweeter style of Oloroso. Its dark amber color is accompanied by sweet, nutty, milkshake-like aromas, tremendous precision as well as intensity, and a marvelous finish.
Emilio Lustau Papirusa Manzanilla Sherry, $15.99
Emilio Lustau Papirusa Manzanilla Sherry Winemaker Notes
A bone dry Manzanilla from the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda, light and fresh, very tangy, clean and crisp with just a hint of saltiness.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by The Wine Advocate
The NV Manzanilla Papirusa from Sanlucar de Barrameda has an intense straw color with a smoky nose of roasted nuts. The palate is dry and light, with clean, pungent flavors, showing finesse and good length. Lustau is doing a good job to improve their Manzanillas, working with a good almacenista in Sanlucar.
Hijos de Rainera Perez Marin La Guita Manzanilla, $16.99
Hijos de Rainera Perez Marin La Guita Manzanilla Winemaker Notes
The color is a lemon golden yellow. It is clear and fresh on the nose, with aromas indicating a very good biological aging, crystallized fruit, wild and floral notes, dried fruit, and almond. On the palate it is light, tasty, enveloping, fresh and persistent. A pale and delicate style of sherry with a salty tang from the sea.
91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator
Distinctive, with verbena and tarragon notes leading the way, followed by lemon pith and jicama flavors. Flashes of gooseberry and talc run through the finish. Bottled June 2016.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by The Wine Advocate
The NV La Guita Manzanilla has always had a very strong and marked character of brine, green olives and mustard seeds, with an overall sweet sensation. The medium-bodied palate is precise, very dry and intense, with some brine and rancio flavors and great length. The quality of this wine has increased notably in the last few years, and represents very good value and is a great introduction to Manzanilla, as availability should not be a problem with 2,000,000 bottles filled per year.
Emilio Hidalgo Fino Sherry, $14.99
Emilio Hidalgo Fino Sherry is Sherry dessert wine from Jerez, Spain
Emilio Hidalgo Fino Sherry Winemaker Notes
All Finos develop under the veil of flor and this is evident on the nose of this wine, showing its bready, yeasty character. Opening with typical notes of green olives, this refreshing fino gives way to delicate wildflowers on the nose.
Pairs perfectly with classic tapas but can also last the whole meal through with seafood and even sushi. This wine is meant to be served very-well chilled and can be used an aperitif as well as the most refreshing accompaniment to many classic, simple sea
90 Points Critical Acclaimed Wine Spectator
Sea salt, Brazil nut and dried chamomile notes are racy and filigreed, with a stony edge on the finish.
Manuel Acha Vino Vermouth Rojo, $19.99
Manuel Acha Vino Vermouth Rojo is Vermouth dessert wine from Spain
Manuel Acha Vino Vermouth Rojo Winemaker Notes
Vermouth is a fortified and aromatized wine that is macerated with a selection of herbs, fruits and roots. The word “vermouth” comes from the German word for “wormwood,” which was originally one of its primary infused ingredients. Acha’s Vino Vermouth Rojo is made in accordance with an old recipe passed down through the Acha family. It is made from a blend of a neutral wine and alcohol macerated with a selection of traditional botanicals including wormwood, gentian, and cherry.
Tasting Notes – Licorice and wild herbs framed by bitter components and a markedly wild berry fruit.
Serving Recommendation – The Vino Vermouth Rojo is a sipping vermouth. Try serving as an aperitif over ice and garnished with an orange wedge or lemon slice. This Vermouth will also work exceptionally well in your favorite cocktail.
94 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Enthusiast
Dried dates and figs lead the nose on this bold, complex vermouth. The succulent dried fruit character also shows up on the palate, as a flash of sweetness dries to a tannic, mouthwatering finish accented with cocoa, orange peel and spice.
