Bodegas Alonso
Bodegas Alonso was set up by Fran Asencio and his brother who already owned a bodega in Asturias as well. They were looking to invest in the sherry region and were able to acquire part of the heritage of Pedro Romero (check my review of his Manzanilla Aurora for more background information on this tragic story).
After the death of Pedro Romero most of the biologically aged wines were taken over by Francisco Yuste. However some of the most interesting (mostly oxidatively aged) wines went to the Asencio brothers.
Gaspar Florido
On the one hand there are the legendary wines from Gaspar Florido. This bodega in Sanlúcar (with a vineyard called Viña Armijo) was known for its top-quality old sherry wines. Especially the 25-GF solera and the ancient Ánsar Real casks (dating back to the mid 19th century and estimated to be over 110 years of age) are famous. Check my review of an old Gaspar Florido GF-25 sherry and La Bota de Palo Cortado 47 (Equipo Navazos) which come from this house. They disappeared from the market for many years, but it’s good to know they are taken care of and are available again – albeit in tiny volumes.
Pedro Romero / Fernando Méndez
On the other hand there are the old wines from Pedro Romero and his ancestors. Bodegas Alonso took over the very old soleras of Amontillado, Oloroso and Palo Cortado. Last but not least they also hold onto the wines from the former almacenista Fernando Méndez who was bought out by Pedro Romero at some point. Some of these wines have an average age of over 60 years as well.
Manzanilla Velo Flor
Besides this treasure cave of old oxidative wines, Bodegas Alonso is currently offering one benchmark wine, the Manzanilla Velo Flor. This wine, launched in 2016, is composed of Manzanilla bought from different almacenistas and different vineyards in the Jerez Superior zone.
Bodegas Alonso acquired the former warehouse of Fernando Méndez in the lower part of Sanlúcar. These buildings previously held the Manzanilla Aurora and are now being renovated. They have also invested in vineyards. They acquired 13 hectares in the pagos Balbaína and Miraflores. These musts are added to some of the younger wines from Pedro Romero. In the future, this will become an upmarket Manzanilla next to Velo Flor.
In the long term Bodegas Alonso is planning to invest in bigger premises that will allow them to vinify on site.
Bodegas Alonso sherry wines
Bodegas Alonso is currently selling these ancient wines:
- Amontillado single cask, coming from Gaspar Florido and around 90-100 years old
- Oloroso single cask, coming from Pedro Romero and around 60-70 years old
- Palo Cortado single cask, coming from Pedro Romero and around 60-70 years old
- Palo Cortado single cask “Tú no te olvides”, coming from Gaspar Florido and around 110-120 years old
Then there’s a series of slightly younger gems:
- Amontillado 1|15, from Gaspar Florido and around 35-40 years of age
- Oloroso 1|4, from Pedro Romero and around 35-40 years of age
- Palo Cortado 1|8 from Fernando Méndez, around 35-40 years of age
And of course the Manzanilla Velo Flor, a Manzanilla of around 9-10 years of age.
There is also a Velo Flor Olorosa, a version that spent an extra 9 months ageing statically in an old Oloroso cask. This is only available in 1,5l bottles.
Recently they also added a series of wines in the Gama Selección. These are very rare wines of around 100 years old, from single casks that haven’t been topped up in the past 20 years. They cost over € 300 per bottle.
Contact
Bodegas Alonso
Calle Bolsa 114
11540 Sanlúcar de Barrameda
www.bodegasalonso.com
info@bodegasalonso.com
About the Author
Ruben is a Certified Sherry Educator who fell in love with sherry some 25 years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at www.whiskynotes.be
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