March 2015 - Gonzales Byass by Ben Wise

Ben Wise of Gonzales Byass presented us with 8 wines. GB is best known for its sherries, but does much more than that and Ben gave an excellent presentation of 3 sherries, 1 dessert wine and 4 wines.

1. Tio Pepe Palomino Fino 15%
2. Vilarnau Cava (Barcelona) . Brut Reserva 11.5%
3. La Miranda de secastilla 2013 Garnacha Blanca 13.5%
4. Beronia Rioja Reserva 2010 – Tempranillo, Graciano y Mazuelo 14%
5. Finca Constancia , Otero (Toledo). 2012 – 14%
6. Del Duque 30yr old amontillado 21.5%
7. Matusalem 30 yr old Oloroso 20.5%
8. Tintilla de Rota de Finca Moncloa. 14.5% 2011.

Tio Pepe is perhaps the best known, named after Manuel Gonzales' Uncle Jose (“Tio Pepe”) who offered to assist Manuel, on the condition that he could have a corner of the Bodega for his own project – which was a Fino sherry, now known as Tio Pepe. It is still a great wine. It has to be drunk fresh – once opened treat it just like any other white wine.

Wines 2 – 5 are all good, and well worth seeking out. My favourite was the Finca Constancia red – inky purple – a blend of mainly Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, with small percentages of Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Graciano.

The two 30 year old solera sherries are very intense and well worth seeking out, if only for the experience. Personally I find the Del Duque too austere – intense, dry but overpowering, while the Matusalem I absolutely adore – all the intensity, but with a bit of sweetness from the 5% PX grapes added. Fantastic.

The last bottle is a rarity – only just over 2000 bottles were made last year – its a dessert wine, made by raisining the grapes, fermenting to 5% then stopping the fermentation by adding alcohol to 14.5%. Truly amazing. The grape variety, Tintilla de Rota is an old grape variety native to the Cadiz region.

A truly excellent evening.