Appearance
Bright amber tinged gold with golden highlights.
Nose
There is a certain resemblance to Cognac rather than the usual Jerez brandy with its powerful wood and Oloroso/PX character. This is much more subtle and elegant with only gentle background hints of Oloroso butts though there is a slight wood note. Hints of dried fruits like apricot meld with faint traces of honey and blonde tobacco.
Palate
Smooth and mildly fruity with just a hint of sweetness and no discernible tannin. It is like brandy in its natural state without the traditional confections so you can taste the spirit itself and what it is made from, and it is good. It has poise, elegance and charm with a gentle texture and terrific length.
Comments
Marqués del Real Tesoro is part of Grupo Estévez who have been commendably using only their own Palomino grapes for distillation, both for fortification spirit and for brandy, and this is the first brandy release. The firm is one of the biggest vineyard owners and has put increased emphasis on the origins of their products and are aiming for 100% Jerez. Far from being made from lesser grapes, the brandy is made from high quality, low yielding ones, and it takes 5 kilos to make 1 litre. A higher than average proportion of pot still holandas is used and the spirit is aged in ex Oloroso butts for 3 years. In fact it is from the 2014 vintage. The emphasis here is on style and origin, not on tradition or age. No sweetening has been added and no mention of age appears on the label. It is aimed not only at traditional brandy drinkers but also the new, younger drinkers. The quality is extremely high and it is different with its own unique style. Superb.
Price
39.95 per 50cl bottle De Albariza
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