Gonzalez Byass La Copa Vermouth
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Vermouth Copa is based on an original recipe and design dating back to 1906 retrieved from the winery’s historic archives.
Intense spiced aroma, notes of clove and cinnamon stand out, with an elegant bitterness on the finish. On the palate it is smooth and elegant. There can be no doubt as to its origin in Jerez.
La Copa brand was one of the first to be registered by Gonzalez Byass dating back to 1884. The production follows the original recipe from 1906 and the packaging is a replica of the original label. La Copa is produced from fine Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez soleras which are more than 8 years old. A meticulous selection of botanicals is carried out, with the aim of achieving the perfect bitter-sweet, aromatic balance. The principal botanicals used are wormwood, savory, clove, orange peel, nutmeg and cinnamon. The proportion of botanicals used is a closely guarded secret, kept under lock and key in the winery.
The perfect aperitif to revive the classic ‘Vermouth moment’. Enjoy well chilled, on its own or with soda and crushed ice. Vermouth is a key ingredient in many of the best cocktail recipes.
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A blend of Friulano, Malvasia and Ribolla Gialla, this opens with aromas of acacia flower, ripe yellow stone fruit, citrus zest and hazelnut. Fermented in large casks, the wine has a full-bodied palate offering butterscotch, coconut, ripe yellow apple and a honeyed almond note. This is a complex white made to accompany first and second courses as opposed to a fresh aperitivo.
González Byass was created in 1835 by Manuel Maria González and remains in family hands today, now in the fifth and sixth generation. Founded in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, in the heart of Sherry country, it is dedicated to the production of high-quality sherries. The Sherry triangle, made up of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda, has a unique microclimate influenced by the surrounding Atlantic Ocean and Guadalquivir and Guadalete rivers. Production is dominated by the Palomino variety, and vines are planted in the white Albariza soil, with high chalk content which is excellent for retaining moisture. These soil conditions, combined with over 3,000 hours of annual sunshine, fresh, humid breezes from the west (poniente) and warm, dry breezes from the east (levante) have formed the perfect marriage with the Palomino variety to produce an array of sherry styles.
All sherries are aged following the traditional Solera system where the wines are blended in 600 litre American oak casks. Many styles are produced with distinctive characters depending on whether they have been aged under the influence of the flor (a layer of natural yeast) or as an oloroso (in contact with oxygen).
Historically a dry, herb-infused, and sometimes pleasantly bitter fine wine, today vermouth is indispensable to any modern mixologist. Typically vermouths are Italian if red and sweet and French if golden and drier in character.
Known more formally as Jerez de la Frontera, Jerez is a city in Andalucía in southwest Spain and the center of the Jerez region and sherry production. Sherry is a mere English corruption of the term Jerez, while in French, Jerez is written, Xérès. Manzanilla is the freshest style of sherry, naturally derived from the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.