Today we would like to talk about a fantastic and appreciated distillate which, although it has been rather forgotten perhaps because of the new trends or the tastes amongst consumers may have changed over time, will always be one of the spirits to take into account.
Brandy from Jerez is the result of distilling white wine from two specific grape varieties: Airén and Palomino, plus a further aging process in wooden barrels.
The ageing in wood is one of the characteristics that differentiate the Brandy from other spirits. The aging takes place in American oak casks with a capacity raging from 250 to 600 litres, and the requirement to have been “seasoned” for a minimum of three years, i.e. have contained some kind of Sherry (Fino, Palo Cortado, Amontillado, Pedro Ximénez, …), contributing significantly to provide the wooden casks with many different nuances, depending on the sherry they have previously contained.
Thus, from a barrel seasoned in Fino, we would obtain a paler Brandy than if it had contained Amontillado or Oloroso. The casks seasoned in Pedro Ximénez produce a much darker, medium-sweet spirit.
Aging is performed through the system of “soleras” and “criaderas”, which takes place exclusively in the famous triangle formed by the municipal boundaries of Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santamaria and San Lúcar de Barrameda.
The uniqueness of this product is the time factor, determined by the system of “soleras” and “criaderas”. The complexity of this system guarantees that any Brandy from Jerez, regardless of age (minimum 6 months), contains components with a much higher aging degree than those resulting from a static aging system.
“Soleras” and “criaderas”, along with the distillation process and the micro-climate of the area, are the most important factors for the production of Brandy, providing homogeneity and quality during time and furnishing its peculiar personality.
According to the years of aging, we can find different denominations on the market:
- Solera: aged for a minimum of 1 year
- Solera reserve: aged for a minimum of 3 years
- Solera gran reserva: aged for a minimum of 12 years
We encourage you to re-discover this magnificent and historic distillate that will surely not leave you indifferent.
