Description
González Byass Lepanto Gran Reserva Brandy 700ml is a Brandy de Jerez from the González Byass bodega in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. It is made from 100% locally grown Palomino Fino grapes, double distilled in copper Charentais stills and aged for an average of 12 years in the solera system, which qualifies it as a Solera Gran Reserva.
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Most Brandy de Jerez is aged in Jerez from spirit distilled elsewhere, but González Byass describes Lepanto as the only brandy distilled, aged and made entirely in Jerez. The fermented Palomino wine is distilled twice in traditional Charentais pot stills of the kind used in Armagnac and Cognac, and only the heart of the run, known as holanda, is kept for ageing.
Ageing follows the same solera system the bodega uses for its sherries, with younger spirit gradually blended into older barrels of American oak. Lepanto spends around nine years in casks that previously held Tio Pepe fino, then a further three years in casks that held richer, older sherry, before bottling at an average age of 12 years. Master Distiller Luis Trillo Gutiérrez has overseen the maturation and blending of Lepanto for more than 25 years.
González Byass itself was founded in Jerez in 1835 by Manuel María González, and the sherry casks that shape this brandy come from its own cellars. That link between brandy and sherry is what gives Lepanto its nutty, dried fruit character and sets it apart from French brandies.
Serve it neat at room temperature in a tulip or snifter glass, or with a single ice cube on a warm evening. It suits a classic Sidecar or a brandy Old Fashioned, and pairs well with toasted almonds, Manchego, dark chocolate or a slice of fruit cake after dinner.
- Brandy de Jerez made entirely in Jerez, Spain
- Palomino Fino, double distilled in Charentais copper stills
- Solera Gran Reserva, average age 12 years
Expect toasted almond, raisin and caramel on the nose with a soft vanilla note from the American oak. The palate is dry rather than sweet, with walnut, dried fruit and gentle spice, and the finish is long and warming with lingering oak and nuttiness.
A rewarding pick for brandy drinkers and sherry lovers alike, and a smart gift for anyone who enjoys a dry, nutty after-dinner spirit.
