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Gonzalez Byass
The seed that grew into Gonzalez Byass was planted in 1835 by Manuel María Gonzalez Angel, with Robert Blake Byass - his agent in England - only joining the firm two decades later. The two families remained in partnership through much of the 20th Century and the business has grown to be one of Sherry's most recognisable and important names. In 1988 the Gonzalez family bought out the Blass family, taking sole control of the business.
The business is based in some fine buildings in Jerez, including one designed
by Eiffel. This is a must-see for any Sherry tourist, as is popping inside to see
El Cristo (a Sherry butt holding in excess of 157000 litres), which was
purchased for the visit of Queen Isabella II in 1862. This gigantic butt is
accompanied by twelve 6000 litre butts, representing the twelve apostles, which
surround El Cristo, except for Judas, which is used to store vinegar!
Today, the company's cellars hold over 45 million litres of Sherry and Brandy de Jerez.
The range of available wines here is considerable. The best known is Tío Pepe (named after Don Manuel's Uncle Joe), one of the world's most recognisable finos. Then there is the Amontillado del Duque, two Olorosos, the Seco Alfonso and the Apóstoles. The single vintage Añada and sweet Oloroso Matúsalem and PX Noë are also excellent. Most of these wines are tasted below. (21/12/04)
Contact details:
Address: c/Manuel María González 12, 11403 Jerez de la Frontera
Telephone: +34 956 357 060
Fax: +34 956 357 061
Internet:
www.gonzalezbyass.com
Gonzalez Byass - Tasting Notes
Notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. Styles with a little
sweetness are listed within the appropriate category, be it amontillado, oloroso
or otherwise. Significantly sweet wines, where Pedro Ximénez plays a larger
part, are listed at the end. Click
to locate
stockists:
Gonzalez Byass Fino Elegante: Correct depth of colour. The nose has
notes of wood, sea-spray salt and iodine. Full flavoured palate, with baked
white fruits, spice, mineral and more iodine. Lovely texture through the
midpalate too, with a rounded, creamed sensation behind all the typicity. Good.
15/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe: Good, classic nose. Fresh, full-flavoured.
Very, very dry. A little salty. Very decent tang on the palate. More body than
many fino wines. Good. 15/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Fino Palomino Extra Dry: A richer colour. Quite a bit
of fruit on the nose for a fino, with a firm, salty tang. Perhaps a little
dilute on entry, but with plenty of very typical salty flavour set against the
bone dry palate. The finish has a lovely savoury character and rounded warmth
not found through the midpalate. I think this has the edge on the Elegante and
Tio Pepe. 15.5/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Fino Elegante: A good nose here, with white fruits and
nuts. Dry, flavoursome yet elegant palate. Very approachable. 16/20 (June 2002)
Gonzalez Byass Palo Cortado Apóstoles 30 Años: Baked earth and sweet
baked oranges. Challenging, but nicely rounded out by the PX, which brings a fat
seam of sweetness to the wine. For me it is a bit too sweet though - as I have
mentioned before, I prefer a drier Palo Cortado. A nice bitter grip to it
though, certainly all nicely integrated and balanced as it stands. 16/20 (November 2006)
Gonzalez Byass Palo Cortado Apóstoles 30 Años: Deeper colour here.
Dark, woody, musky, baked earth nose. Just off dry. Smooth, integrated texture.
Good flavour, but perhaps lacks a little elegance. I would prefer a drier style.
Good for what it is though. 15/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Amontillado Del Duque 30 Años: A 30 year old solera,
100% Palomino. Some volatility on the nose here, with a burnt character. Drier
than the preceding wine, rather more reserved, certainly more challenging.
Bitter, ameliorated with just a little sweetness and rounded texture. 15.5/20 (November 2006)
Gonzalez Byass Amontillado Alfonso: Expressive nose. Nutty, with
notes of baked earth. Full, nutty, dry and classic style on the palate. Warm and
rounded. This has good texture and a lovely style. I like this 16.5/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Amontillado Del Duque 30 Años: A 30 year old solera.
Complex, woody, nutty nose with a salty, tangy edge. Rich, weighty and textured
on the palate, but quite dry. Salty tangy notes like those on the nose. Very
good. 16.5/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Amontillado La Concha: An orange-brown hue. Nutty
nose, with warm citrus peel. Medium body, fresh palate. Initial medicinal notes,
before fanning out on the finish to a huge expanse of warm, complex, toffee, nut
and spice flavour. Shows a nice texture when held on the palate, with some
length. Overall, though, it makes little impact. 14.5/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Dulce Matusalem 30 Años: Another bottle of this
rather good sherry. This has a dark nutty-brown hue, fading out to a
toasty-golden-yellow rim. Rather vegetal nose, with notes of axle grease,
roasted nuts and raisins. Rich, plenty of sweetness and texture here as
expected, with an oily mouthfeel cut through by a slightly bitter grip. Great
length. Overall this is very, very good indeed. 18/20 (May 2007)
Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Dulce Matusalem 30 Años: Another wine which
includes 25% PX blended in. A deep, golden, amber brown. Complex and vegetal on
the nose, with notes of axle grease. Big, sweet, creamy, yet with a savoury
bitter streak. Impressive and multi-faceted. Very good indeed. 18/20 (November 2006)
Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Dulce Matusalem 30 Años: A delightfully rich golden-brown in the glass, fading out at
the edge to a honey-amber hue. The nose is simply delightful; it seduces with
aromas of toffee, walnut, raisins and more, before revealing the note of axle
grease (yes, I mean axle grease) that belies the presence of Pedro Ximénez, the
universal Spanish sweetener. This is a fine and beguiling panoply of aromas.
There follows an appealing palate, displaying all the richness that the nose
suggests, but paradoxically very structured with, despite the creamy tenderness,
a very dry feel through the midpalate and finish. All this does little to hide
the blatant intensity of flavour which makes this so pleasurable to drink
though. This is really very very good, and I think that despite the lengthy
period of ageing already undertaken this is a wine that will last for years in
the cellar. Excellent. For label images and more see my
Wine of the Week
write-up. 18/20 (October 2006)
Gonzalez Byass Oloroso Dulce Matusalem 30 Años: Again, 25% PX blended
in, at the top of the solera. Slightly vegetal edge. Rich sweet and honeyed,
treacly richness. Absolutely massive texture. Raisin and nut character. This is
very good. 16.5/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Añada 1979: A rare, single vintage Sherry. A beautiful,
amber gold. Baked earth, salt and oranges. Seamless palate, very firm, smooth
and integrated. Full, dry and peppery. Lovely, complex depth. Great style, and
the structure to last - and maybe develop further - for decades. 17.5+/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Solera 1847: A sweet blend, 75% Palomino and 25% Pedro
Ximénez, with an average age of nine years. A deep, nutty brown, with baked
fruit and axle grease on the nose, belying the presence of PX. Soft, rather
unstructured, open, certainly sweet. A baked character like that on the nose.
Rather nice but it has no finesse. 14.5/20 (November 2006)
Gonzalez Byass PX Noë 30 Años: A 100% PX wine. Caramel, molasses,
Christmas pudding on the nose. Rich, oily, toffee sauce style of wine, with nuts
and raisins. Really over the top; impressive, but I don't know if I would
actually want more than a mouthful. I suspect it would be really good with ice
cream though. 17.5/20 (November 2006)
Gonzalez Byass Pale Cream San Domingo: A pale hue like that of a fino,
and a nose to match. A hint of roasted nuts, also sea salt and crushed, dried
leaves. Fat, simple and sweet on the palate, with a fino-like flavour profile.
Tingly acidity and some flor character, combined with a rich sweetness. For
me it just doesn't work. 10/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass Solera 1847: A sweet style, with 25% PX blended in.
Moderate amber brown. Lovely, sweet, treacly molasses and burnt sugar nose.
Quite light and elegant on the palate though, balanced, with burnt orange and
sage. This is very good. 16/20 (November 2004)
Gonzalez Byass PX Noë 30 Años: A 100% PX wine. A dark and oily brown
wine. Rich nose. Oily, fat, creamy palate, intense, with nuts and raisin
flavour. Gorgeous, mouth coating finish. This is intense stuff. Lovely. 17.5/20
(November 2004)
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