Fino Elegante 15%, Gonzalez Byass

Appearance
Bright pale strawy gold, minimal legs.
Nose
Light young and quite fruity, forthcoming with a touch of flor, very fresh with hints of almond, quince, melon and bread dough, appealing.
Palate
Similar, fruity, but with a hint of counterbalancing bitterness from the flor, decent acidity and in general fresh and quite zippy with decent length
Comments
Much better than I remember it; less plodding and full of youthful zip. Perhaps 3-4 years old
Price
£ 8.49 from Waitrose

31.10.12 Beam sell Palacio Domecq

Beam Global puts the Palacio Domecq up for sale

The emblematic XVIII century home of the Domecq family in the Alameda Cristina in central Jerez is being put up for sale by its owners, the American multinational Jim Beam.  Things are already quite advanced with a group of hoteliers planning to use the building as a venue for celebrations. It has already been the scene of celebrations with, most notably the wedding of the famous bullfighter “El Juli” to Rosario Domecq.

In 2003 the Junta de Andalucia declared the building, which occupies nearly an entire block, as being of Cultural Interest. In recent times, since the 1960s, the house has ceased to be the Domecq residence, and has been used to accommodate company executives. Yesterday the sign outside with the visiting times was being removed, "simply because the season is over", according to Beam sources.

Pale Dry Fino 15%, Bodegas del Principe for the Cooperative

Appearance
Paleish strawy gold, clean, light legs.
Nose
Rather bitter flor edged aroma with the teeniest trace of oxidation and some bitter almond. It is fino all right, but not particularly attractive, and thankfully not terribly forthcoming.
Palate
Similar to nose, but a shade more oomph, a trace of olive brine. Not particularly "fine" and has none of the subtleties of the hoped-for delicate flor flavour. It does the job, just. It brings back memories of the finos imported in the 1960s and 70s which were usually 18% vol. At least it is inexpensive.
Comments
I can't find out much about this bodega, except that the address given is Crta. N-IV, Km 640, Jerez, which is the same as Grupo Estevez., so one must presume that Bodegas del Principe is a sous-marque of Estevez for bulk blends. It is bottled in Jerez, but is not doing the image of Sherry much good.
Price
£5.99
Cannot find a photo of this bottle. Maybe that's another reason it's cheap.

Good News for the Sector, and for Garvey 28.10.12

The Audiencia Nacional annuls Sherry sector fines for agreeing grape prices.

The Audiencia Nacional (National Court) has annulled fines imposed on the Consejo Regulador and the association of cooperatives AECOVI by the CNC (Comision Nacional de Competencia – roughly our Office of Fair Trading) for agreeing grape prices, some of which were initiatives from the Andalucian Ministry of Agriculture as part of the Strategic Plan 2002-2006.

The Court took into account that the pricing agreement was done in good faith under government scrutiny and was intended to address the oversupply problems in the Sherry zone.  Other organisations in the trade are now expecting their fines to be quashed. The growers are delighted, as the fine would be almost impossible to pay given the current hard times.

The grape pricing fines were the third measure initiated by the CNC. They had previously imposed fines on the trade of a total of 8 million euros. The first of these was for discriminatory sales quotas, for which the Consejo was fined 400,000 euros, which the Court reduced to 100,000. The second imposed fines of a total of 7 million euros on Fedejerez (the association of Bodegas), the Consejo and various individual bodegas. This is still awaiting resolution at the Court.

(Diario de Jerez)

Garvey back to profit

After 18 months in administration and drastic staff cuts the old-established firm is almost back on its feet. There are now only 53 staff, and those on reduced salaries, but nobody talks about Ruiz Mateos, their eyes are focused on the future. The worst may be over, but there is a lot to be done, not least on the financial side and the administrators are trying to avoid bankruptcy. Since the owner Back in Business was relieved of management of the firm, it it is verging on profit after taxes and suppliers were paid.

Things are difficult, but the bodega has never stopped working and has sufficient stocks to supply demand. Prices have had to rise and a few clients have thus been lost, but some have returned. The firm is actively seeking new customers and is abandoning the cheap and unprofitable BOB (Buyer’s Own Brand) Sherries. Confidence in Garvey is gradually returning, both from suppliers and clients, and it seems that the bodega will be able to stand on its own two feet without depending on being part of a group. The staff are motivated and kept informed of any movement in the administration. It is possible that Garvey might merge with Zoilo Ruiz Mateos, also in administration.

(Diario de Jerez)

Bodegas: Alvaro Domecq

In 1999 Alvaro Domecq Romero bought the oldest surviving (1800) almacenista bodega, that of Pilar Aranda y Latorre. The bodega supplied large quantities of wine to Gonzalez Byass for blending and also supplied Emilio Lustau who bottled the wines unblended for their Almacenista range. He began to put  the wines on the market under the name Alvaro Domecq, the byword being quality. There were initial problems with Allied Domecq's new owners, Pernod Ricard, over the use of the name Domecq, so Pilar Aranda was used for a while, until the problems  were overcome.

Many in the Domecq family thought that "Alvarito" as he was known was mad, after all he was a famous rejoneador (mounted bullfighter) and breeder, but sales slowly grew from fewer than 1,000 cases a month to over 15,000. Now the bodega has a fine reputation. Alvaro always dressed as an English gentleman, wearing tweed and silk ties, like many a Sherry grandee. An outstanding horseman, he was a founder of the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre and also served as mayor of Jerez.

The bodega, constructed in the early XVIII century and consisting of 5 warehouses, sits in the south of the city on a slight hill and is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the west wind which brings moisture to the flor. The warehouses, are built over 3 levels for the same reason, and unique in Jerez. Nowadays the 2,500sq/m bodega is surrounded by housing in the Barrio San Miguel.

The firm picks the best available young wines from the best bodegas and rears them in an artisanal manner. The oenologist, Ana Real, cares for the 1,500 butts of old wine, and knows every one personally. Such that she found a few exceptional butts of oloroso Alburejo , and we can look forward to a limited VORS release of this. Exports amount to about 60% of sales, particularly in Europe and Latin America, where the name Domecq is well known thanks to their subsidiary in Mexico.

Alvaro passed away in 2005, and in 2007 the investment company Inveravante bought a sizeable stake bringing the firm into a group with other wines from 10 areas such as Rueda and Rioja among others. They also produce very fine brandy and vinegar. There is a shop which sells not only the Alvaro Domecq products, but also those of Inveravante (or Avante Selecta), being wines from all over Spain.

The Domecq name is famous in Jerez and beyond, and Alvaro and the other family members did not want to lose its connection to the wines of Jerez. The date 1730 used on labels relates to the founding of the bodegas which eventually became Pedro Domecq, not that of Pilar Aranda.

Old Vinegar solera, venencias and scales at Alvaro Domecq

The range consists of:

Fino La Janda (over 7 years old)

Manzanilla La Jaca

Oloroso Alburejo (over 7 years old)

Aranda Cream

And the old wines: These have been a bit unreliable in terms of availablity in recent times (there are limited quantities), but efforts have been made to re-introduce the Amontillado and Palo Cortado, as well as the new Oloroso Alburejo:

Oloroso VORS 1730

Palo Cortado VORS 1730

Amontillado VORS 1730

PX VORS 1730

Vinegar:
Some of the finest vinegar in Jerez, the oldest being from 1846!

Address: Calle Madre de Dios S/N, 11401 Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz

Tel:  (+34) 956 339 634

Web: www.alvarodomecq.com

Visits: yes, with prior arrangement. Various events can be held in the bodegas eg weddings

Bodegas: Pilar Aranda

This famous firm is one of the oldest bodegas in Jerez, and the oldest of the almacenistas. It was established in 1800 by Don Antonio Maria de Aranda y Cardenas, the great grandfather of Pilar Aranda. Don Antonio had four children: Carlos, Felix, Pepa and Fermin. Fermin became a very famous surgeon, and was often invited to speak at medical conferences. At one such in 1924, attended by King Alfonso XIII, he extolled the virtues of Sherry so well that the following day, 1200 of those at the conference visited Jerez! Medical man though he was, he looked after the family bodega and expanded it. He even experimented briefly with growing tobacco. A street was later named after him (the old Calle Medina).

A republican and the owner of vineyards – he came to own four fincas: La Rosa Celeste, La Blanquita, La Huerta de la Marquesa and  La Venta Cantero - and of course the bodegas. He spoke three languages and was known for his charm. He married Dona Pilar Latorre Nieto, and they had four children: Antonio, Fermin, Jose and Pilar, born on the 11th of July 1907.

It was Pilar, widowed young - her husband was killed during the Spanish Civil War - who inherited the bodega containing some 500 butts on her father’s death on the 1^st of May 1946. Along with her sons and the accountancy skills of her cousin Guillermo Ferguson’s stepson, she continued with the winemaking. She was a woman ahead of her time, possessing grace and spontaneity as well as an excellent knowledge of the workings of a bodega, and great skill as a taster. With a great sense of humour and agility of mind, she was well known and respected not only in bodega circles but also in public. 

Pilar had seven bodegas, but three were rented out. The other four contained about 700 butts. She worked a lot with Manuel Maria Gonzalez Gordon of Gonzalez Byass, buying mosto from them and selling them back matured Sherries, in fact 85% of her bodegas output was sold to them for their blends, the rest being sold to Emilio Lustau – such as a lovely Amontillado Fino - to be bottled unblended and sold bearing her name as well as that of Lustau. One treasure in the bodega was an ancient PX, well over 100 years old, which has been aged statically in only four butts, but it is almost impossible to procure any. There is also some outstanding vinegar.

In 1975, at the Harvest Festival, the Consejo Regulador named her “Capataz de Honor” in recognition of her dedication to Sherry. As she grew older, her grandson, Fermin Garcia Villaescusa managed the business. A trained enologist with experience, he is also an artist, and perhaps his greater interest lay there. Dona Pilar passed away in 1997, aged 90, and in 1999 the firm was sold to Alvaro Domecq, a member of that famous bodega family (qv). In 2006 a street in Jerez was renamed in her honour.

It is hard to say whether or not this is a lost bodega, but many changes have certainly been made. The firm now markets the brands based on the existing soleras, but is now part of a big financial group. Lustau is no longer bottling the wines.

Her brands were: 
Fino La Janda
Oloroso Alburejo
Cream Aranda 
These brands have been continued by Alvaro Domecq along with some very old wines which are now  as the 1730 range.

A Rumour.......

I have had wind of a rumour that there are big moves afoot among certain bodegas. According to the rumour, Gonzalez Byass is buying from Osborne all their wine and Sherry brands, and Osborne is buying from GB all their spirit brands.

Any further information gratefully received!!