Harveys Very Old Amontillado VORS - the best wine in the world

The 7th of June will be remembered as “A Great Night” for Bodegas Fundador. The international wine competition “International Wine Challenge 2016”, one of the most prestigious competitions of the world wine industry, awarded the prizes, known as the “Oscars of the wine world” at London’s Hilton Hotel. 

The top prize, awarded at the end of the evening, was “The Best Wine in All Categories”. Two French wines, one from Australia and two Spanish wines, both from Harveys, were in the running.

At 23.30 (Spanish time), Manuel José Valcárcel - technical director and oenologist at Bodegas Fundador – received the prize with both delight and emotion. The award for the “Best Wine in the World 2016” for Harveys Very Old Amontillado VORS is the first and only time that a Spanish wine has received this prestigious prize.

This recognition lends great prestige to Harveys, allowing them to consolidate the leadership of Bodegas Fundador and achieve the maximum quality of their range of Jerez wines and brandies.
The prizewinning wine, Harveys Very Old Amontillado VORS, is a Sherry from the VORS category (Very Old Rare Sherry) which has been aged for over 30 years. It comes from a solera established in 1904 and is made from Palomino grapes grown in the best vineyard in Jerez, the Pago Macharnudo.

The wine has a very bright amber-topaz colour with golden highlights; it is very complex on the nose filled with the aromas of hazelnuts and fine oak and has developed beautifully over so many years of ageing, being very dry with incredible length.

After receiving the prize, Manuel José Valcárcel said “as the oenologist of Bodegas Fundador it is an honour to be able to enjoy such a special event in the world of wine. Receiving the prize for the “Best Wine in the World” is the highest recognition we can receive and rewards the love and care which go into our Sherry wines. Being from Jerez I feel very proud and satisfied to have been able to contribute to the recognition and prestige of Spanish Wines.”

The managing director of Bodegas Fundador, Rafael Rendón, had this to say:

I feel especially excited and grateful on behalf of all the family that is Bodegas Fundador for the magnificent work they have done in maintaining and developing the fantastic treasures we have in some of our soleras, and I would especially like to express my gratitude and recognition for the knowledge, skill and dedication of our technical director and oenologist, Manuel José Valcárcel, in making possible these almost unimaginable and unachievable challenges.