Comments on: Old and New http://jerezwine.com/2008/11/24/old-and-new/ Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:53:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Justin Roberts http://jerezwine.com/2008/11/24/old-and-new/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Justin Roberts Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:38:00 +0000 http://jerezwine.com/?p=28#comment-22 BTW. I hope we get to meet oneday. I see from your verema profile that you are obsessed with Andaluz generosos! Welcome to the club!<br/><br/>Have you joined the Open Wine Consortium? I have started a sherry group there:<br/>http://www.openwineconsortium.org/group/thesherrygroup BTW. I hope we get to meet oneday. I see from your verema profile that you are obsessed with Andaluz generosos! Welcome to the club!

Have you joined the Open Wine Consortium? I have started a sherry group there:
http://www.openwineconsortium.org/group/thesherrygroup

]]> By: Justin Roberts http://jerezwine.com/2008/11/24/old-and-new/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Justin Roberts Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:33:00 +0000 http://jerezwine.com/?p=28#comment-21 I'm sure a Fino/Manz at about 13-14% would be more popular and and easier sell than 15+. I hope we see something like that sometime soon. I’m sure a Fino/Manz at about 13-14% would be more popular and and easier sell than 15+. I hope we see something like that sometime soon.

]]> By: Álvaro Girón http://jerezwine.com/2008/11/24/old-and-new/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Álvaro Girón Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:48:00 +0000 http://jerezwine.com/?p=28#comment-20 It depends. There are indeed a number butts well below 15% in many bodegas. They are quite characteric for their aromatic profile of powerful yeasty/flor aromas. However, they are not necesarily those prefered by foremen and oenologists. On the other hand, when alcohol levels decrease dramatically you are facing another problem: you don't have enough "food" for the flor layer, so you wine might be at peril. Most of this butts suffers some sort of "correction" by adding a fino with more alcoholic strength.<br/><br/>Still, I believe that you are right when thinking that there are a lot of healthy butts below 15%. "Well below" it is a different matter. It depends. There are indeed a number butts well below 15% in many bodegas. They are quite characteric for their aromatic profile of powerful yeasty/flor aromas. However, they are not necesarily those prefered by foremen and oenologists. On the other hand, when alcohol levels decrease dramatically you are facing another problem: you don’t have enough “food” for the flor layer, so you wine might be at peril. Most of this butts suffers some sort of “correction” by adding a fino with more alcoholic strength.

Still, I believe that you are right when thinking that there are a lot of healthy butts below 15%. “Well below” it is a different matter.

]]> By: Justin Roberts http://jerezwine.com/2008/11/24/old-and-new/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Justin Roberts Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:03:00 +0000 http://jerezwine.com/?p=28#comment-19 Hi Álvaro. Thanks for the comment. This whole topic is very interesting for me, as I'm convinced it could lead to increased sales of Fino/Manzanilla. <br/><br/>In the book, George Rainbird only states "standard alcholic strength". I can only assume what that is, but 15% seems reasonable for the first fortification (ie of the "mosto" before it becomes "sobretablas"). <br/><br/>For a Fino/Manzanilla which has been under flor for several years, and since the flor consumes alcohol, would you not expect the alcohol to come down well below 15%? Hi Álvaro. Thanks for the comment. This whole topic is very interesting for me, as I’m convinced it could lead to increased sales of Fino/Manzanilla.

In the book, George Rainbird only states “standard alcholic strength”. I can only assume what that is, but 15% seems reasonable for the first fortification (ie of the “mosto” before it becomes “sobretablas”).

For a Fino/Manzanilla which has been under flor for several years, and since the flor consumes alcohol, would you not expect the alcohol to come down well below 15%?

]]> By: Álvaro Girón http://jerezwine.com/2008/11/24/old-and-new/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Álvaro Girón Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:12:00 +0000 http://jerezwine.com/?p=28#comment-18 In those times -60s and 70s- the vast majority of finos were re-fortified to 17º before bottling and travelling abroad. In some cases, those finos/manzanillas destined for local consumption were bottled at their "natural" alcoholic strength, meaning the 15% you usually find in fino butts.<br/><br/>On the other hand, I remember reading a book of Manuel Barbadillo in which a cask of "natural" manzanilla (below 11%) was mentioned. However, as far as I know, those were experiments, never a commercial reality.<br/><br/>By the way. most of the finos from Montilla don't need fortification... In those times -60s and 70s- the vast majority of finos were re-fortified to 17º before bottling and travelling abroad. In some cases, those finos/manzanillas destined for local consumption were bottled at their “natural” alcoholic strength, meaning the 15% you usually find in fino butts.

On the other hand, I remember reading a book of Manuel Barbadillo in which a cask of “natural” manzanilla (below 11%) was mentioned. However, as far as I know, those were experiments, never a commercial reality.

By the way. most of the finos from Montilla don’t need fortification…

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