Brandy is a spirit produced by means of distilling wine, the wine having first been produced by means of fermenting grapes. Brandy contains 40%–60% alcohol by volume and is normally consumed as an after-dinner drink.
Initially wine was distilled as a preservation method and as a way to make the wine easier for merchants to transport. It was also thought that wine was originally distilled to lessen the tax which was assessed by volume. The intent was to add the water removed by distillation back to the brandy shortly before consumption. It was discovered that after having been stored in wooden casks, the resulting product had improved over the original distilled spirit
A solera is a series of barrels or other containers used for aging liquids such as Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, Mavrodafni (a dark-red fortified dessert wine from Greece), Muscat, Muscadelle, Balsamic,Commandaria and Sherry, Vinegars.
Typically, a portion of the wine from the last barrel of the series is removed and bottled. Then the last barrel is filled from the next-to-last barrel, etc., until the first barrel is filled with new wine. The barrels are then left to age until the process is repeated. A solera can easily be the largest capital investment of a family winemaking firm, and the barrels used are usually passed down to one's descendants.
Wine produced from a solera cannot have a vintage date because it is the product of wines from many years. The last barrel in a solera has at least a tiny (albeit usually insignificant) fraction of the first wine ever put in it, which could be hundreds of years old. However, if the movement of wine is slow enough, it is possible to establish a minimum age of the blend. For example, if one has ten barrels, and transfers wine along once a year, the resultant wine has a minimum of ten years, and can be labeled as such, but the average age is actually twenty years.
(adapted from wikipedia)
Another history
Unlike brandies from the Jerez area, Antoni Mascaró, from Penedès (Barcelona) http://www.mascaro.es/ uses the Charentais method instead of the very Spanish Soleras method. Using the double distillation of this method, the producer looks for softness and flavor. You can see an animation here: http://www.copper-alembic.com/products_class_anim.php?cat_id=10&lang=es&flashanim=anima10.swf
Is possible to enhance the brandy if it remains in the bottle for a long period?
Probably the answer of experts is NO. Nevertheless, my experience with a set of Carlos III bottles (look at the photo) stored for about 30 years is YES. Of course you do not get Carlos I, but believe me, the brandy is largerly improved!
2 comentarios:
But who wants to wait 30 years to drink a Carlos III which resembles Carlos I???? I say, man, go and get a Carlos I!
(By the way, I am still waiting to know how you can get so many red spots in your blog....)x
Hay varias explicaciones plausibles, entre ellas:
a) Uno se encuentra esas botellas olvidadas de la mano de Dios en un rincón profundo al cabo de 30 años y no sabe si beberlas o no (ese fue mi caso)
b) Uno decide comprar 50 botellas el año de su boda o del nacimiento de un hijo y luego ir bebiendo una cada año, estrenándola el día del aniversario.
c) Uno no se fía de que la crisis se lleve por delante la empresa que fabrica una determinada bebida y para ser "autosuficiente" decide hacerse con un stock considerable que le dure años y años.
d) Uno no se fia de que una determinada bebida mantenga la línea de calidad y para asegurarse el suministro, compra un stock considerable (en este aspecto, por ejemplo, tengo que decir que el marie brizard actual es de peor calidad que el de antaño).
e) por el glamur que tiene abrir a las visitas una botella "prehistórica".
f) como inversión
g) por coleccionismo
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