6.8.16 Latest on Harvest in Sanlúcar; Wines from Spain Awards

The 2016 harvest is predicted to be later and smaller than that of 2015 as a result of the weather conditions of the past year, but of good quality. Some grower organisations are predicting that picking will begin on 22 August, but others think it will start at the end of the month or beginning of September which would make it later than last year when picking began on August 27.

The president of the Cooperative Virgen de la Caridad, Juan Juez says the vineyard is seeing uneven ripening; the same vine can have both ripe and unripe bunches, so 20-30 days are needed to ripen the rest, as a minimum of 10.5ᴼ Beaumé is required by the Consejo. Antonio Palacios, president of the cooperative Covisan, which is a group of 170 growers supplying mosto to La Guita, Argüeso, La Gitana and Elías González, says they will start checking the grapes in the middle of August. Much depends on temperatures and wind, and if the Levante keeps blowing, ripening could be advanced, but he doubts the harvest will be before the beginning of September.

Grapes ripen a little later in the slightly cooler Sanlúcar vineyards than in those of the rest of the Sherry area, and along with the later harvest will be the reduction in volume as a result of mildew, which affected Sanlúcar vineyards at the end of May and beginning of June because of late rainfall. Estimates of losses vary, but they could reach 30-40%. Virgen de la Caridad expects losses of 10-15%, especially with the high temperatures and Levante, while Covisan is expecting 20%, saying that some vineyards are total losses while others have lost 40-50%. The shortfall in the Sanlúcar harvest will be mostly compensated by other areas which are much bigger and were less affected by the mildew.

Last year’s total harvest finished with 76,413,662 kilos with an average of 11.24ᴼ Beaumé, while in Sanlúcar 12,141,985 kilos were picked with an average of 10.88ᴼ Beaumé. Most agree that the quality will be good, with healthy grapes of a good size, just fewer of them.

Wines from Spain, the UK arm of ICEX, has announced the 2016 Awards for wines on sale in the UK. From 650 wines 116 were awarded prizes. From the Sweet and Fortified section joint winners for Best Dry Fortified were: Cayetano del Pino Palo Cortado Solera and Fernando de Castilla Antique Oloroso. Runners up were La Cigarrera Moscatel, Barbadillo Manzanilla Solear, Fernando de Castilla Antique Fino, Sánchez Romate Amontillado Olvidado and Cayetano del Pino Palo Cortado Viejísimo 1/5.

28.7.15 Highest Points for Sherry in Guía Peñín 2016; Awards for Williams & Humbert

Carlos González, director of the Guía Peñín, is a self-confessed Sherry lover whose passion is reflected in the scores for the 2016 edition of the prestigious guide, where Sherry gets the highest average score of 91.67 points. Sherry and Manzanilla beat Priorato (90.07) by over 1.5 points despite the latter’s spectacularly good 2013 vintage which merited a special mention. In 3^rd place were the wines of Valdeorras with an average score of 89.07.

After the exhausting round of tastings which began in Jerez in January, the Guía Peñín is currently being published and printed to be available in October, coinciding with the XVI Guía Peñín Best Wines of Spain Show. The tasters held a re-tasting of all the wines which scored over 94 points, and there were no fewer than 370 of them.

Carlos Gonzalez at work in Jerez (foto:diariojerez)

The 2016 edition has a record-breaking 11,200 wines tasted, of which 200 were Sherries, and this year they have included special editions such as Finos and Manzanillas en Rama. While tasting in Jerez, the Peñín director noted how good the wines were, highlighting the good moment Sherry is experiencing. He said that in the guide’s 26 years of existence no wine had been awarded 100 points, but if any wine deserved it, it would be Sherry. Further, he said that Sherry has always given dignity to the array of wines produced in Spain, and urged readers of the guide to try Sherry, which too many think is a wine for connoisseurs only, but in fact is a wine with styles to suit everyone.

Overall, the tastings have seen increased average points for 24 Dos and reduced points for 40 others with one remaining the same. In the preamble to the guide, it is noted that nearly 1,000 wines from new producers were tasted, varying from small to large. Straightforward wines with international inspiration which reflect the regeneration inspired by young winemakers in Spain.

 At the recent Wines from Spain Competition in London, Williams & Humbert took the two Awards for the Fortified Category. The wines were Manzanilla Alegría and Dos Cortados VOS 20 Years Old. The competition is for the best Spanish wines in various categories which are available in the UK.

3.10.13 Unique GB Anada; Wines from Spain Awards; Tio Pepe Sherrymaster

Gonzalez Byass have produced a bottle of very special Añada wine to commemorate the centenary of Cambridge University’s English Language Assessment Department. It will be presented during a ceremony at the bodega tomorrow.

The Oloroso, presented in a replica of the bottles used in the mid XIX century, is actually a blend of 11 of the most outstanding vintages from each decade of the century 1913-2013. The bottle has a driven cork and a vintage label and is sealed with red wax, numbered and signed on the back label by the president of GB, Mauricio Gonzalez Gordon.

Tasting notes are: Intense, complex and forthcoming on the nose with pronounced notes of hazelnuts and almonds in caramel and hints of polished furniture, cedar wood, slightly saline hints and a trace of the austerity that only age can confer. On the palate it is full, powerful, dry, dense and concentrated with tremendous balance between acidity and bitterness. It bursts onto the palate and lingers forever, the cleanest and purest definition of this kind of wine.

 Wines From Spain (ICEX), the Spanish Government body for promotion of Spanish wines in the UK, has announced its Awards for 2013, and needless to say Sherry has won a few. 700 wines were tasted and 107 selected for honourable mention. 

The Award winners were:

Fernando de castilla Antique Oloroso: Best Dry Fortified

Fernando de Castilla Antique PX: Best Sweet Fortified

Waitrose Solera Jerezana Palo Cortado (Lustau): Best Value Dry Fortified

Antonio Flores

Gonzalez Byass have recently concluded the first “Tio Pepe Sherrymaster” symposium. They plan to run the event every year, and it consists of two days of total immersion in the world of Sherry. Led by GB chief blender Antonio Flores, the event was assisted by internationally recognised speakers such as Josep (Pitu) Roca (sommelier at Can Roca Restaunt) and Sarah Jane Evans MW. It was attended by specialist journalists, sommeliers, gourmets and the like.

The first day focused on “History, the Vineyard and Biological Ageing”, with vineyard visits, a study of the climate and a look through GB archives followed by a tasting led by Antonio Flores.

The second day was entitled “The Selection and the Winery”. Much emphasis was put on selection and classification of the wines, and Sarah Jane Evans gave a talk on “Yeast versus Oxygen”. The closing tasting was “Sweet Farewell”, a look at Palomino, Moscatel and PX wines.

A splendid time was had by all! For more info: www.sherrymaster.com