16.7.19 Tio Pepe Cuatro Palmas: Champion of Champions

The International Wine Challenge, considered the top international wine competition, has awarded Tio Pepe Cuatro Palmas its top award, Champion of Champions. Thousands of wines from 60 countries are tasted by 450 experts in what is regarded as the most rigorous competition, and the Champion of Champions Trophy goes to the best of them all. This magnificent wine comes from one of only six butts which have spent an average of 53 years aging in the bodega La Constancia ant the final selection was made by González Byass oenologist Antonio Flores and Master of Wine Natasha Hughes. A Palma is a particularly fine wine derived from Fino which has outstanding fragrance and delicacy and which is classified from one to four according to its age and complexity. They are rarely seen nowadays, in fact these are the only ones commercially available. 

Brandy de Luxe Conde Duque 40%, González Byass

Appearance

Very deep mahogany with copper highlights fading to amber.

Nose

Fairly intense and not particularly sweet - in fact it is quite dry, though there is a hint of brown sugar - with pronounced notes of Oloroso and oak. This is a serious brandy with aromas of walnut, cacao, some dried fruits, dates mainly, and caramel along with faint notes of clove and cinnamon, all well integrated over quite a few years of ageing.

Palate

Full bodied and full of character, it is a little sweeter than expected with Oloroso and possibly even some PX coming through and a faint trace of licorice. There are relaxed spice notes which work well with the sweeter ones and a little tannin, but it is not at all aggressive and adds to the structure and balance. The flavour lingers on the palate for some considerable time.

Comments

This was quite a find, a defunct brand from González Byass in a decanter style bottle which could well have been hand blown sporting a sort of bin label or metal necklace engraved with the words "Brandy de Luxe". It was available in a decorative cardboard box with or without a velvet bag. There is no mention of the words "Brandy de Jerez" nor the type of brandy, eg Solera Gran Reserva, which it most certainly is, so it must date back to before the DOE was established in 1987 and possibly the 1970s. It is certainly of fine quality, quite likely for the export markets (it was certainly exported to the US) but was probably dropped about 30 years ago. Interestingly, Bodegas Fernández Gao have registered a brandy with a very similar name: Brandy de Luxe Conde Duque de Olivares, and a very similar label except that this one has an illustration of a mounted knight.

Price
75 euros, La Tienda del Jerez

Fino Tio Pepe en rama saca 2019 15%, González Byass

Appearance

Light brassy lemony gold with golden highlights.

Nose

Super fresh and bursting with sourdough and yeastiness and noticeable briny salinity along with traces of straw and very slight hints of bitter almond. Antonio likes using the word "salvaje" (wild, raw), and it is: the flor has reached the fullness of its spring activity after the cold of the winter and you can just feel it running riot. There is a certain fullness too, no doubt from the inland vineyards.

Palate

Generous, effusive, complex and very yeasty with a real dryness enhanced by that attractive dry chalky albariza texture. Classic Fino. Acidity is fairly low, though there is a gentle tang and it feels very clean and is dangerously moreish. I really look forward to trying it again after a year in bottle.

Comments

This is the tenth annual saca of Tio Pepe en rama, bottled on the 11th April after oenologist Antonio Flores has spent months selecting the best butts from the GB Fino solera accounts for some 21,000 butts and he must taste his way through nearly a quarter of them to find those with the character he is looking for, especially as he sets himself the challenge of making a better wine each year(and he has). This year he was helped by his daughter Silvia who is now a member of the GB wine-making team and together they selected wines from about 67 butts for this saca which was of course bottled without filtration. The grapes came from the pagos Macharnudo and Carrascal and the wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks and after a spell in sobretablas it joined the last scale of the criaderas. A total of 18,000 bottles are available these days - the first release was only 1,200.

Price

14.65 euros, El Corte Inglés

 

Brandy Lepanto Solera Gran Reserva PX 36%, González Byass

Appearance

Deep brown tinged mahogany with copper glints fading to amber with a trace of green at the rim.

Nose

Rich and clean with distinct wood notes of old oak and vanilla along with hints of walnut and fruit notes from the PX like raisin, prune, dried fig and faint traces of orange zest and rancio. The PX fruit is very well integrated and not overpowering but certainly noticeable and there is also a very slight brown sugar sweetness. Very elegant.

Palate

Big and rich with a certain caramel/brown sugar sweetness and all that dried fruit flavour which balance out any spiritiness, and some very slight oak tannin undertones. There is a gentle texture, probably from the PX and the oak, and a very long dry finish with a nice twist of rancio at the end.

Comments

Aged for twelve years in ex Tio Pepe butts and a further three years (totalling 15) in butts which had previously held the firm´s wonderful Pedro Ximénez VORS Noé for at least 30 years, this is the last remaining brandy to be distilled in Jerez. It is made from Palomino grapes picked just a little earlier than they would be for Sherry, giving a must of a little over 10% alcohol and a little more acidity, ideal for distilling, which is done in the traditional "Charentes" style copper pot stills which give holandas of the highest quality. The firm began distilling in the 1850s and the Lepanto solera dates back to 1864 after new larger stills were installed by Scottish distilling technician, a Mr Thomson. They have been replaced since then of course. This is one of three versions of Lepanto: the original at twelve years old and the two cask-finished versions: OV (Oloroso Viejo) and this PX, both with an average age of 15 years.

Price

32.50, Roali

Fino Añada 2011 15%, González Byass

Appearance
Pale to mid strawy gold with golden highlights.
Nose

Much more intense and completely different to the 2010. Dry and ripe with strawy, biscuity almost baked sour dough notes and aromas of toasted almond mingling with gently bitter flor and a faint buttery, slightly autolytic character. There is also the faintest note of oxidation which is absent in the 2010 which is light, subtle and elegant while this is more of a blockbuster - but also lovely.

Palate

Again much fuller, very dry and a little more mature tasting, despite being a year younger, with intense nuts and more bitter flor and that teasing slightly oxidative note. It has terrific length. Interestingly it is one degree lower in alcohol when one might expect the reverse being from a hotter year. And it is amazing how two such different wines can both be so good in such different ways, something the solera system would iron out, which is what makes vintage wines so interesting.

Comments

GB have released two very interesting Finos from very different but consecutive vintages: 2010 (QV) and 2011 which came from exactly the same vineyards in the pagos Carrascal and Macharnudo and which were made in exactly the same way, so the only differences are the vintages and one year of age. That gives us the rare opportunity to compare wines from these two years. Vintage Fino is not easy to produce as it cannot be refreshed the way it normally would be in a solera, and so the alcohol level can rise killing off the flor. It is more or less up to the Gods - and expert oenologists - as to how the wine will turn out, especially after 7 years. The 2010 came from a cooler wetter year while this 2011 came from a hot dry year with plenty of Levante and higher average temperatures, giving a good contrast. The harvest began quite early on 17th August and was of exceptional quality, and the wine was bottled almost exactly 7 years later on 16th August 2018, just 700 x 50cl bottles.

Price

32.75 euros per 50cl, Licores Corredera

Fino Añada 2010 16%, González Byass

Appearance
Pale to mid strawy gold with golden reflections.
Nose

Clean, fairly light and very fresh, remarkably so for a wine which has had no refreshment in 8 years, though it is a little fuller. The flor is restrained and not particularly dominant and the aromas are more yeasty and bready yet a slightly more bitter serious note, a faint air of humidity and a trace of bitter almond behind gives it real charm, subtle complexity and style.

Palate

The bitterness of the flor and that almond is a little more pronounced and provides some welcome bite and perfect balance to a wine with fairly moderate acidity, yet it is also very smooth. And it is quite light too with a hint of leanness, and very elegant, dry and polished with a long finish that really makes you hungry. A lovely wine.

Comments

GB have released two vintage Finos in the Vinos Finitos (Finite Wines) range from two contrasting years. The wines come from the same vineyards in the pagos Carrascal and Macharnudo and were made exactly the same way, so the only difference between them is the year, so while they are both excellent they are very different. The chance to see how two vintages differ is rare in Jerez because of the solera system which was designed to iron out year on year differences. 2010 was a year with rainfall two thirds above the average and winds predominantly from the Atlantic, so described as cooler and fresher than normal, giving rise to a longer period of ripening before the hot Levante eventually took over in the second fortnight of August. This wine comes from a single butt sealed by the Consejo for virtually 8 years which provided 700 x 50cl bottles which were filled on 16th August 2018. Producing a Fino de añada of 8 years of age is very difficult in Jerez as the flor cannot be relied on to cover the wine all year round and for so long, so this is quite an achievement.

Price

32.75 euros per 50 cl, Licores Corredera

Fino 15% Wisdom & Warter

Appearance
Paleish strawy gold with golden reflections.
Nose

Fresh and light with some youthful herbal top notes and more of a yeasty bready character from the flor rather than bitterness - though there is a little, and there are still traces of appley fruit in the background along with hints of esparto, minerals and a faint trace of almond.

Palate

Good and dry with a slightly chalky texture and a hint of bitterness, slightly more than on the nose, and that gentle fruit note to balance. It is very clean and fresh and is probably about three years old but a fully fledged well balanced Fino nonetheless with decent length.

Comments

Wisdom & Warter was established in 1854 and earned a good reputation for quality, especially in the British market. It was eventually bought out by González Byass in 1929. Nowadays only a few of the more basic of the original wines are available, and just from the GB shop. Some used to be available in certain export markets but I doubt they are now. It is a sad, rather long drawn out end to a once great name, but nothing unusual in Jerez.

Price
6.20 euros ex bodega

Vermouth La Copa Blanco 15%, González Byass

Appearance
Pale to mid bright golden straw with golden highlights.

Nose

Pronounced sweetish citric notes up front, mainly lemon and perhaps a hint of tangerine followed by the classic bitter herbal notes one expects in vermouth with suggestions of rosemary and thyme, and possibly gentian. The overall aroma is reasonably complex, lively, and inviting, and very fresh.

Palate

The story is much the same on the palate, starting fresh and citrussy then getting more bitter with the wormwood and green herbs, but that is balanced by a certain sweetness, (perhaps just a little too much if compared with French vermouth like Noilly Prat or Chambery) and a certain viscosity. Nonetheless, this mixes well with a good dry gin and is lovely on its own with ice and a slice of lime.

Comments

This vermouth is the comparatively recently (re) released white partner for the red La Copa. It is, of course, based on selected Fino in which is steeped a range of  secret botanicals which include wormwood,  savoury, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and lemon and bitter orange peel. GB first made red and white vermouth back in 1896, and in those days vermouths were often called "Italian" ("I´ll have a gin and it") for sweet red, also used for example in a Manhattan, or "French" for fairly dry white vermouth used in cocktails like the Dry Martini or Gibson. This will be welcomed by the growing number of barmen making cocktails using Sherry as a base.

Price

8.65, Licores Corredera

Brandy Lepanto OV Solera Gran Reserva 36%, González Byass

Appearance
Deep mahogany with copper highlights fading to amber with a trace of green at the rim.
Nose

Rich and fragrant with beautifully integrated notes of oak, Oloroso, walnut, praline and vanilla with  traces of dried fruit, a suspicion of orange and a gently sweet hint of brown sugar. This is a brandy with considerable class; it is complex yet fresh and open, and quite beguiling.

Palate
Full and rich and very smooth with no rough edges, it makes quite an impact at first then softens and rounds off with a faint bitter note, probably tannin from the wood, balanced by those brown sugar and orange notes, then hints of nuts and nut oil come through but the finish is dry. It is full bodied with lots of Jerez character and has terrific length.
Comments

Lepanto, which was launched in 1951 is the only brandy still distilled in Jerez and it is made from a base of Palomino wine made in Jerez. The wine is stored under inert gas while awaiting distillation to avoid any oxidation.The firm began distilling in 1844, and for Lepanto they use Charentais (Cognac) type stills which use the double distillation method. These have been replaced since then, of course - in fact the current ones date back to 1960 and each has a capacity of 25 hectolitres - but the method has not. The distillery is in the bodega Los Arcos in Jerez while the firm's other brandies are made in La Mancha. Only the hearts of the distillation, between 65 and 72% are used to make the holandas which then spend 12 years in ex Tio Pepe butts before being transferred for 3 years' finishing in butts which previously contained Matusalem 30 year old sweet Oloroso so the finished product has an average age of 15 years. The original Lepanto bottle was designed by the Real Fabrica de la Granja (est 1727) near Segovia. There are 3 versions of Lepanto: the standard 12 year old aged in Fino butts, this one, and the 15 year old PX finish. There was a limited edition (200 bottles) of Lepanto Aurum 30 year old, but that is now almost impossible to obtain.

Price
37.95 Roali

12.8.17 "Seasick" Palo Cortado Returns to Cádiz

Built in Cádiz in 1927, the Juan Sebastián Elcano, is a beautiful four-masted vessel used as a training ship by the Spanish Navy. In its 90 years it has sailed some 1.7 million nautical miles and docked in 71 countries. It returned on Saturday to its home port after a training exercise lasting nearly six months during which time it called in at Funchal, Las Palmas, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, El Callao and Charleston, acting as a sort of floating embassy.  Meanwhile an old bronze cannon dated 1801 was found in excellent condition in the water of the docks during routine works days before the ship returned, luckily it was not loaded.

The welcoming comittee (foto:DiariodeJerez)

Below the ship’s decks were two butts of González Byass Palo Cortado XC from the 1990 vintage selected by Antonio Flores for an experimental revival of the old tradition of sending wine on a sea journey to improve it. He described the wine as having “reached its peak, one step from glory” so it will be very interesting to see how it has turned out. It will be bottled in time for next year’s 500^th anniversary celebrations of the first circumnavigation of the globe. Magellan set out from Sanlúcar in 1519 with five ships, but only one made it home, captained by one Juan Sebastián Elcano. The wine will be called Palo Cortado XC De Ida y Vuelta (there and back); it is unlikely to be cheap however.

Oloroso Alfonso 1/6 22% Vinos Finitos, González Byass

Appearance

Bright antique polished chestnut fading to amber, old gold highlights, trace of green at the rim.

Nose

Very fragrant and open with attractive and creamy notes of butterscotch, garrapiñadas (almonds cooked in caramel), turrón and toffee. There are also hints of walnut and the slightest traces of cinnamon, orange peel and sandalwood. It is slightly unusual with all that butterscotch but delightful with that gentle sweet note, and in the background the more usual, slightly firmer traces of oak.

Palate

Starts full and crisp but soon broadens out into an open textured wine which seems fairly light yet has great presence and a gentle tang of volatile acidity. There are notes of caramel, butter, faint hints of warm spices and a firm but not over obvious structure, with unobtrusive tannins. It is clearly an old wine but at its prime and absolutely charming.
Comments

This is the newest release from González Byass and is the first of a forthcoming range called Vinos Finitos. This is a play on words as "vino finito" means a fine little wine, or even a Fino, but also a finite one and also that their age is (well reasonably) infinite being very old. Almost forgotten, but not completely. This wine originally came from a solera which for many years refreshed the standard Alfonso solera, but over the years a capataz had separated out 6 particularly good butts and left them up to their own devices. Only one of these has been selected for bottling by the firm’s oenologist Antonio Flores “with his nose and with his heart”. The bodega describes the wine as a “vino de pañuelo” (a wine so aromatic a gentleman would apply a few drops to the handkerchief in his breast pocket instead of using aftershave) and ideal for meditative sipping. It has an average age of over 40 years and the saca consists of  965 x 50cl numbered bottles. Annoyingly hard wax which flies everywhere was used to seal the cork, but still, it is a cracking wine.

Price
99.95 per 50cl, Licores Corredera

 

Tio Pepe en rama 2018 15%, González Byass

Appearance

Bright lemony gold with a faint tinge of polished brass.
Nose
Fresh and fragrant and while the acetaldehyde is fairly restrained there is a slightly humid character from the flor and distinct hints of yeast and sourdough along with faint floral and olive brine notes. It is very different from last year's release with less of that up front bitterness and the wine itself shines through. It has a lovely balance of freshness and seriousness.
Palate
All that said, it is quite full and a little more serious on the palate. There is a little more of that lovely flor bitterness and a trace of salinity along with a gentle texture. It has great depth and some attractive subtleties from the cabezuela adding considerable complexity to a long very clean finish.
Comments

This is the 9th edition of the Tio Pepe en rama, released annually in spring. Master blender and oenologist Antonio Flores begins the process in mid October of assessing and selecting some 100 butts from the foundational Rebollo solera and that in the bodega La Constancia (which are both refreshed with mostos from the Macharnudo). He then re-assesses them in spring, finally selecting about 60 from which to make his blend. This year he selected 62. After a cold dry winter the flor was in good shape and a wet March helped too. This year for the first time the firm filled 1,000 magnums - which would be well worth getting hold of to lay down for up to 5 years, say - and enough half bottles for use at the firm's caseta at the Feria del Caballo in Jerez, along with 18,000 standard bottles. This year's slogan for the wine is "armonía perfecta"

 Price
16.40, Licores Corredera

13.4.18 Tio Pepe en rama 2018 Launched

The 9th release of Tio Pepe en rama is now available. After an initial selection of 120 butts in October, Antonio Flores has selected the wine from just 62 butts from the Constancia and Rebollo soleras, both of which are made from Macharnudo musts. Autumn 2017 was very hot and followed by a cooler winter, with decent rainfall into spring which gave the wine a healthy layer of flor which is reflected in the wine’s yeastiness. For the first time it will also be available in magnums.

Pedro Ximénez Los Buhos 15%, Wisdom & Warter

Appearance
Very dark blacky brown, almost opaque, fading to tight amber rim.
Nose
Very rich with lots of dried fruits like raisin, date and prune along with hints of treacle toffee and very slight toasted notes like carob and traces of oak. Overall it is the dried fruit which predominates, and in quite an intense way; it is big and quite generous.
Palate
Full, rich, unctuous and fairly silky with all that fruit up front and a trace of spice as it opens out, then toffee. You can really feel the texture of the raisin pulp, yet there is enough acidity to give it some freshness and very decent length, leaving lovely lingering raisin flavours in its wake.
Comments

Wisdom & Warter was established in 1854 and is now a sous-marque of González Byass, who bought the firm in 1929. While it can occasionally be found in Jerez, it is more often seen on export markets such as the USA, though with a different label. Very good value for money.

Price
About 8 euros

2.2.18 González Byass Revives East Indies Wine

In past centuries wines were sent as ballast in ships as long sea journeys improved them.  Now González Byass are reviving the tradition known as “ida y vuelta” (return trip) or “vino mareado” (seasick wine). Return journeys to the East Indies were once quite common and could increase the value of the wine five-fold.  The bodega has selected two butts of exceptional Palo Cortado which will undertake the journey aboard a Spanish Navy sailing ship, the Juan Sebastian Elcano, which was launched in 1927 and is used to train sailors. It was named after the captain of the only surviving ship of Magellan’s first circumnavigation of the globe, the quincentenary of which will soon be celebrated, and GB is paying homage to this achievement. Magellan is known to have taken lots of Sherry on his voyage. The Juan Sebastian Elcano will set sail from Cádiz on 11 February. The wine, simply known as Palo Cortado XC, and which oenologist Antonio Flores describes as having “reached its peak and is one step from glory” will be bottled after its return.

Vermouth La Copa 15.5%, González Byass

Appearance

Deep mahogany fading to amber with copper highlights.
Nose
Aromatic with wormwood and quinine to the fore with raisin note from the PX behind, then come hints of Oloroso and orange before the whole ensemble comes together as an appealing bitter-sweet whole. It all seems perfectly balanced.
Palate
Initial sweetness gives way as the bitterness comes through but never takes over, it just balances nicely. There is a fullness, even a trace of viscosity which is kept in check by the bitter botanicals and it has a very long finish which dries a little leaving pleasant sensations.
Comments

In line with the resurgence of the popularity of Vermouth, González Byass re-launched its La Copa brand in spring 2016. The formula, which dates from 1896 and had been preserved in the bodega's historic archive, is exactly the same, as is the label. The brand "La Copa" or the glass was also used to brand the horses bred by the son of the firm's founder, the Marqués de Torresoto. The vermouth is made from a blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez of at least eight years of age and the botanicals include wormwood, savory, clove, orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, angelica and quinine.

Price
7.99 euros, El Corte Inglés

2.1.18 González Byass Launch Solera Reservada Club

GB has launched an online club selling an exclusive selection of special Sherries which are not generally available. Membership is free - you just need to buy the wine - and offers various benefits which include 15% discount on GB products; auction of historic bottles from the firm’s cellar; two free visits to the bodega per year; 20% discount on tickets for the Tio Pepe Festival and direct access to the winemaker. There is an annual saca and the Sherries (and a fine vinegar) come in a set of 21 which includes:

3 x Fino Almendroso: selected 4 year old Fino en rama

3 x Amontillado: Over 40 years old, selected from 3 butts still showing traces of Fino

3 x Palo Cortado: Over 20 years old, selected from 4 butts

3 x Oloroso: Over 40 years old, selected from 4 butts for their elegance and complexity

3 x Dulce Palomino: Over 31 years old, made from overripe Palomino sunned at the vineyard

6 x Jerez Vinegar: Gran Reserva which has well over 10 years of solera ageing (half bottle)

Also included is a polished wooden cabinet to store the bottles. The complete set costs 1,950 euros including delivery. http://www.lasolerareservada.com/la-solera-reservada

26.12.17 González Byass Launch Vinos Finitos

Vinos Finitos is a new range of wines from “forgotten” butts and which therefore have considerable age and class. They haven’t really been forgotten, but have just been biding their time till the right moment arrived and will only be available in very small quantities. "Finito" means "finite"and is also the diminutive of "fino" meaning "fine". The first wine to be marketed is Oloroso Alfonso 1/6, a dry Oloroso of a style which the bodega refers to as “Oloroso Fino” because of its finesse on the nose, its innate elegance and its charm on the palate. This wine originally came from a solera which for many years refreshed the standard Alfonso solera, but over the years a capataz had separated out 6 particularly good butts. Only one of these has been selected for bottling by the firm’s oenologist Antonio Flores “with his nose and with his heart”. The bodega describes the wine as a “vino de pañuelo” (a wine so aromatic a gentleman would apply a few drops to the handkerchief in his breast pocket instead of using aftershave) and ideal for meditative sipping. It has an average age of over 40 years and a strength of 22°. The price at the bodega shop is 96€.

Finca Moncloa 2014 14.5%, Gonzalez Byass

Appearance

Dense black cherry red with a tight purply-pink rim.

Nose

Attractive polished fragrant nose with pronounced oak notes of vanilla and cedar and plenty of bramble and blueberry fruit with a faint balsamic note. The wood and fruit notes balance nicely and it smells smooth and almost creamy with all that black fruit along with a hint of spice.

Palate

Full bodied and well structured with plenty of tannin but it is ripe and unaggressive giving a firm -feeling wine but with lots of that black fruit. It shows a high degree of ripeness as one would expect of a wine from Arcos, and a correspondingly lowish acidity, but it has a real touch of elegance giving it class. Two or three years longer in bottle would round it off nicely.

Comments

Gonzalez Byass started a table wine project in 1972 and in 2000 bought the 45 hectare finca near Arcos where they could put their experience into practice. The results have been excellent and while this wine is a blend of many grape varieties, they all seem to shine. They are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tintilla, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo. The grape bunches are all sorted before leaving the vineyard for the nearby bodega and each variety undergoes a cold soak before temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel. After malolactic the wines are aged for at least 12 months, again separately, in a mix of new and used French and American oak barrels before the final blending and bottling with only a light filtration. This is a "limited edition" of 54,585 bottles.

Price

13.25, Licores Corredera

16.11.17 González Byass Releases Ancient Moscatel

Thought to have been made in the 1850s or 1860s this ancient Moscatel was made before Phylloxera ravaged Jerez in the 1890s. It comes from a single butt laid down in honour of the appointment of Pope Pius X in 1903, and who went on to be canonised in 1954. The wine is made from the Moscatel Menudo grape which was one of 40 permitted in those pre Denominacion de Origen days, but has long been superseded by the Moscatel de Alejandría, and has an alcoholic strength of only 9°. After well over a century of ageing there only remained some 90 litres of wine in the butt which was enough for 120 bottles. Of these, 100 will be sold at £1,000 each, while the rest will be kept at the bodega. Naturally the wine is amazingly intense, but apparently has a remarkable freshness nonetheless.