December, 2021
Jerez de la Frontera, located in Cadiz (Spain), is known for being the birthplace of Brandy de Jerez and for its dynamic ageing system in Sherry Casks.
Find out in this article what makes this region and its Sherry Casks so special.
Why the best Sherry Casks are located in Jerez?
The Marco de Jerez (the area between the municipalities of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez de la Frontera and El Puerto de Santa María) is located in the northwest of Cadiz, the southernmost province of the Iberian Peninsula. This is a privileged region, surrounded by the rivers Guadalquivir and Guadalete. This area is known for the elaboration of the famous Sherry wines, a key business in the history of the municipalities that are part of the Marco and of the cultural identity of the area. Its weather, characterised by the presence of east and west winds, more than 300 days of sunshine per year, temperatures between 4º and 40º and high annual pluviosity (up to 600L/m2 per year), make it a unique location. In addition, these climatic conditions, together with its particular albariza soil, make this region an ideal place for the grape growth and the subsequent production of high quality Sherry wines: Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez. For hundreds of years, these wines have been aged in Sherry Casks, justifying the need for such extensive collections in this region, which are necessary for the proper development of the industry. They are also used to age the best distillates of the area, such as the well-known brandy de Jerez, giving these products unique nuances due to their quality. In this way, Jerez is where " the magic" happens, becoming the heart of the whole process and making it impossible to understand the brandy' s world without it.What factors affect the quality of a Sherry Cask?
Sherry Casks are an essential part of any distillate production process. As we explained in our previous post, Sherry Casks are American oak casks with a large capacity, great porosity and a transfer of nuances. Thus, having contained in their interior the highest quality, very old sherry wines and, subsequently, ageing our brandies, they give them special qualities. The result is unique products: Fundador Supremo, Fundador Triple Madera and Fundador Sherry Cask Solera, which are part of the Sherry Casks collection, emphasising the essential element in their elaboration process. Other distillates, such as the world's finest Single Malt Whiskies, have also recognised the qualities of Sherry Casks, incorporating them into their ageing processes, demonstrating what a precious jewel they are. All these conditions endorse us and allow these unique butts to be certified by the Consejo Regulador de Denominación de Origen Jerez, giving an excellent ageing to the brandy and being a crucial factor in its quality.
Our locally produced and handcrafted Sherry Casks
Our Sherry Casks, in addition to being in the oldest bodega in the Marco de Jerez, Bodegas Fundador, are part of the largest collection of casks in the region. The art of cooperage - cask making - is a traditional art that still persists and has been part of the history, culture and tradition of the Marco de Jerez for centuries, but why are sherry casks so highly prized worldwide? The production of sherry casks is a centuries-old art. Their elaboration requires a highly developed technique and a great precision, which is why it is a profession that is learnt and passed on from generation to generation. In addition to their traditional and handcrafted production, as mentioned above, what makes our casks special is that they have previously contained high quality sherry wine, giving the Brandy they age an incomparable flavour, colour and aroma.
If you want to know more about these very special sherry casks, read our article about Sherry Casks, what are they and their benefits.
Sources used and linked to in this article:
Sherry Wine. The Sherry Wine Region. Available at: https://www.sherry.wine/sherry-region/sherry-wine-region. Accessed 11 November.
Sherry Wine. The Consejo Regulador. Available at: https://www.sherry.wine/sherry-region/consejo-regulador. Accessed 11 November.
Sherry Wine. The history of Sherry Casks. Available at: https://www.sherry.wine/sherry-cask/the-history-of-sherry-casks. Accessed 11 November.
Sherry Wine. The cooperage. Available at: https://www.sherry.wine/sherry-cask/sherrycask-the-cooperage . Accessed 22 November.
