González Byass is launching the Tío Pepe Finos Palmas collection’s 2019 ‘Saca’, four unique vinous jewels that include Cuatro Palmas, dubbed the World’s Best Wine in the International Wine Challenge. A ‘saca’ is when the wine is taken straight from the barrel and bottled unfiltered and unfined.
The Tío Pepe Finos Palmas Collection represents different ages of the same wine. It comprises four vinous marvels that display the capacity of that most universal of Fino sherries, Tío Pepe, to evolve over time. These are jewels from the past that González Byass has retrieved to show the world a set of wines that, as Manuel María González-Gordon described in his book “Jerez-Xerez-Sherry”, stand notably above the rest because of their purity, finesse and delicate aromas.
The new ‘saca’ of “The Ages of Tío Pepe” was very affected by the weather during the growing year, which was marked by a mild, dry winter followed by a summer that was not excessively hot – circumstances that led to the flowers lasting right through the year. These wines symbolize the importance of the selection and classification process that takes place in the winery. González Byass’ winemaker, Antonio Flores, was helped in the search to identify the right wines for this ‘saca’ by Peter Liem, a world-famous sherry expert. The pair combed the González Byass cellars to find butts containing wine that, by virtue of its subtleties, peculiarity and age warranted them to draw One, Two, Three or Four Palms on them.
The result is a new collection where the unmistakable Tío Pepe style is very evident. The butts identified with One or Two Palms are a clear example of how far biological ageing can progress in two finos that express the two terroirs of Jerez: the vineyard and the winery. Tres Palmas is sublime and marks the fine line between biological and oxidative ageing. Cuatro Palmas, for its part, demonstrates Palomino Fino’s capacity to age elegantly and with class.
Una Palma (One Palm)
The Macharnudo and Carrascal ‘pagos’ (single vineyards) express the best of the terroir of Jerez through this intense, salty, flavoursome and mineral Fino. The solera, containing wine that has aged biologically for more than 6 years, consists of 139 butts, of which numbers 79, 95 and 96 were selected, all from the second floor of the Gran Bodega Tío Pepe.
Dos Palmas (Two Palms)
This is a sublime Fino that has aged for 8 years. It displays a perfect balance between the earth and its ‘velo’. Of the 148 butts that comprise this solera, also on the second floor of the Gran Bodega Tío Pepe, the ones selected were numbers 28 and 78.
Tres Palmas (Three Palms)
Biological ageing pushed to the limit. A Fino Amontillado on the edge of life and death. Having aged for 10 years under flor it has taken on a unique character. Just one butt was selected from this historic La Constancia solera’s total of 149: number 38.
Cuatro Palmas (Four Palms)
Complex, intense and finely honed. Aged for 52 years. Time and the winery have turned this Amontillado Viejísimo (Very, Very Old Amontillado) into a highly aromatic, perfume-like sherry dubbed a ‘vino de pañuelo’ (literally ‘handkerchief wine’, so-called perhaps because the aromas a so pleasing that one might like to dab them on!). Just one butt was selected, no5, which has been ageing in the La Constancia Museum Solera, is now ready to be enjoyed.
A collection of wines admired the world over
Whilst Cuatro Palmas enjoyed success at the International Wine Challenge, the Tío Pepe Finos Palmas Collection has been awarded excellent scores in Spain. The Proensa Guide to Spain’s Best Wines awarded Tío Pepe Tres Palmas 100 points for the fifth year running, whilst the Guía Gourmets has given Tío Pepe Cuatro Palmas 99 points.
