Another year, the world of wine has welcome the Finos Palmas Collection 2015: four wines that perfectly reflect the "Ages of Tío Pepe" with elegance, character and refinement. After spending lots of chalks as well as his shoe soles at the Jerez-based González Byass Wineries, Antonio Flores, the "nose of the House," has selected those casks in which the force of the flor –a yeast-like growth that helps protect the wine from excessive oxidation– has infused the fino wine with a unique character.
Intuition, wisdom, nose, days, chalk and venencia –the implement used for pulling sherry samples from the aging barrels– are the stars in the constant to-ing and fro-ing of the winemaker across the wineries. The result: a renewed unearthing of these wine gems which, year after year, show the splendour of sherry wines and dazzle the world. For the fifth edition of Finos Palmas Collection, Antonio Flores has enjoyed the cooperation of Michael Schachner, contributor and editor of American publication Wine Enthusiast.
Una Palma
Fino Una Palma, a genuine fino, resulting from the selection from three casks out of a total of 142, at a Tío Pepe solera where flor is still alive to protect this 6-year-old gem.
Dos Palmas
Fino Dos Palmas reflects the elegant strength developed by Tío Pepe after an eight-year aging in contact with the flor, which still remains fragile on the wine surface. It results from the selection of two casks out of a total of 150.
Tres Palmas
Temperance, wisdom and style emerge in Fino Tres Palmas, a very old Tío Pepe resulting from only one cask which, after 10 years, still keeps some crumbs of yeast that magically interact with the wine.
Cuatro Palmas
A sublime and unrepeatable Amontillado. Selected from only one of the six casks that have been aging at González for 51 years. This Very Old Amontillado, which once was Tío Pepe, shows the importance of selecting and classifying sherry in the cellars.
¿What are Palmas?
Palmas are designations that –as defined by Manuel María González-Gordon in the book "Jerez-Xerez-Sherry"– are applied to those fino sherries particularly distinguished for their cleanliness, fineness and delicacy in their aroma, the number of palms being proportional to their degree of aging". This is perhaps the best definition to describe this type of wines, whose making process had become virtually obsolete until recovered by González Byass for its Palmas Collection. It is the result of the arduous task –in progress since 1880– of selecting and classifying the best fino wines according to their refinement and aging.
The Finos Palmas 2015 Collection is on sale on the González Byass Online Shop