The juice itself is distilled from grapes in copper pot stills before being aged in ex-Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks in the solera style. The brandy that makes it into Clásico has been aged for at least 15 years. Cardenal Mendoza Clasico Solera Gran Reserva is a Brandy de Jerez, a brandy made in the Spanish Sherry producing region of Jerez. Brandy de Jerez is aged in a Solera System, a fractional ageing process, more commonly used in Sherry production. Use of the solera ageing process for spirits is quite rare, however it is also used in the production of certain Solera Rums. In 1887 the owners of ‘Sánchez Romate Hermanos’ began to make a unique, different Brandy for their own consumption. The quality soon earned increasing fame and the winery decided to market it with the name of ‘Cardenal Mendoza’. It is then aged dynamically in the traditional system known as criaderas and soleras also used for Sherry production. The barrels used, known as “botas”, are made from American oak with a capacity of 600 litres and have been seasoned with various types of Sherry. This allows for great variation of style in the finished brandy. Sanchez Romate was founded by Juan Sánchez de la Torre in 1781 and is one of the last family-owned Sherry houses. Over two hundred years later Sanchez Romate is one of the oldest bodegas in Spain and one of the remaining wineries in the Jerez Designation of Origin that remains under independent family ownership. A brandy was first produced in 1887 and it is the fabulous Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva which has become the family’s flagship brand, although their Sherries follow closely behind! Regulated under the strict auspices of the Consejo Regulador – the Brandy de Jerez regulatory body – and the even stricter controls of the bodegas of Sanchez Romate itself, the Cardenal Mendoza brand surpasses these regulations with ease, making it one of the greatest and most sought after brandies from Jerez.

Cardenal Mendoza Clásico proved unlike any brandy I’d had before. It retains some of the pleasing hotness and round, robust character brandies are identified with, but adds extra layers of flavor thanks to the notes of dark, sweet fruits and dry spices added through the aging process. If you’ll forgive me for trotting out a tired cliche, it’s a bit of a “you got peanut butter in my chocolate/you got chocolate in my peanut butter” scenario, only for brandy and sherry instead. Bodegas Romate follows a very careful winemaking process starting from Palomino, Airén and Pedro Ximénez grapes with white albariza soil and the Western Andalucian weather acting as a foundation for this wine. The ageing takes place in American oak barrels and the distillation in copper alquitars using the solera and criadera ageing system. Cognac is a city in the Charentes area of western France where distillation began in the early XVII century. The Dutch had for many years bought the local wine either for consumption as wine or for distilling to make gin or liqueurs. It soon became apparent that wine in its distilled form could be shipped more economically, and Cognac became a centre for brandy production. The wine is mainly made from the Ugni Blanc grape and is double distilled in pot stills known as “alembiques Charentais”. It is aged statically in French oak barrels of 350 litres and seasoned with young spirits. Cognac received its Appellation d’Origine Contrôllee (AOC) in 1936. Alquitaras pot stills This name pays tribute to Pedro González de Mendoza (1423 - 1495), a historical figure who played a crucial role in the conquest of the Muslim Kingdom of Granada and especially in the discovery of America, as he interceded on behalf of Christopher Columbus’ project before the Catholic Monarchs.Although it is constantly reinventing itself and adapting to new technology, this winery still uses traditional production methods. In 1909 it was named supplier of the House of Lords in Great Britain, and in 1917 it was named official supplier of the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican. En 1887, la familia Sánchez Romate empieza a elaborar un brandy para consumo privado. Su calidad impulsa pronto una fama creciente y la bodega decide comercializarlo con el nombre de Cardenal Mendoza. El primer Cardenal Mendoza a quien nuestro brandy hace referencia, fue D. Pedro González de Mendoza (1423-1495), personaje histórico central en la España del siglo XV. Como consejero de los Reyes Católicos, contaba con la total confianza de la Reina Isabel, interviniendo decisivamente en el apoyo al primer viaje de Cristóbal Colon y jugando un papel decisivo en la unificación de España. Brandy de Jerez has been around since the XVI century and almost certainly longer. It was also popular with the Dutch, and to this day the best spirits are called “holandas”. Unlike the French brandies, it is distilled from wine made from the Airén grape in both pot stills (alquitaras) and column stills depending on the quality required. Bright, transparent, of dark mahogany colours. Round, clean, elegant, with winey aromas. Long, warm and balanced in the mouth, with no harsh edges. With personality, a harmony of subtle flavours and an intense finish of raisins and plums.

The art of distillation reached Europe when the Moors arrived in Spain in AD 711. In the early days it was used by alchemists for perfumes or medicines, but later it was discovered that it could be used to protect wines during shipment. At some point, it was observed that the spirit aged well in barrels and small quantities of what we might call brandy were produced, but Brandy de Jerez as we know it today dates to the late XIX century when sales took off. Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva is an excellent brandy that has been produced since 1887 in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). The name is a tribute to Cardinal Pedro González de Mendoza, a steadfast supporter of Christopher Columbus, helping convince the Catholic monarchs to sponsor his journey to the New World. Cardenal Mendoza Clásico ist ein Solera Gran Reserva Brandy, der aus einer Selektion der besten Holandas hergestellt wird. Holandas sind edelste Spirituosen, die langsam in Alquitaren oder Pot Stills destilliert werden. Diese sind nach dem traditionellen Solera & Criadera System gereift sind. Das Solera System von Cardenal Mendoza ist eins der größten in Jerez und besteht aus Fässern, die mit Oloroso und Pedro Ximénez Sherry gewürzt sind. Der Umfang dieses Solera Systems garantiert eine angemessene Reifung von durchschnittlich 15 Jahren und eine außergewöhnliche Qualität.

Cardenal Mendoza - Tradition, die man schmeckt

This unique Spanish brandy is aged, like a sherry, in a solera made from casks that previously held fine Pedro Ximinez and Oloroso sherries, imparting an incredible richness & complexity to the spirit. Aromas of raisins and plums dominate the nose, along with notes of espresso coffee and a touch of liquorice. Sweet and fat on the palate, with lots of dried fruit and more raisins and a distinctive, unique taste with a very cultured PX influence and just enough bittersweet coffee and caramel to balance well. The finish is well-balanced, long and nutty. ABOUT THE PRODUCER

Armagnac comes from Gascony, southwest France, and has been produced since the XIV century. Being situated inland, this fine brandy has never achieved the heights of its coastal competitor Cognac but is a worthy competitor. The main grape varieties are Ugni Blanc and Baco 22A and the wine is distilled only once, in a simple form of column still, the spirit being aged statically in 400 litre French oak barrels seasoned with young spirit. AOC 1936. Cardenal Mendoza is a Brandy De Jerez made in the sherry capital of Jerez, Spain. It comes from one of Spain’s oldest sherry bodegas, Sánchez Romate, which was established in 1781 by Juan Sánchez de la Torre and is one of the few remaining family-owned firms. The brandy was first created for the family’s own consumption, and is named for the 15th century cardinal who was counsel to King Ferdinand II and helped arrange Columbus’s voyage to the New World. Im Jahr 1877 begann die Sánchez Romate Familie mit der Herstellung von Brandy für den privaten Verbrauch. Der Ruf von der erlesenen Qualität verbreitete sich im Handumdrehen und die Kellerei beschloss, unter dem Namen Cardenal Mendoza auch für den kommerziellen Verkauf abzufüllen.

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Die Geschichte des Edel-Brandys liest sich wie im Märchenbuch. Und das sei der ambitionierten Familie de la Torre auch gegönnt. Im Jahre 1781 gründete Juan Sánchez de la Torre in der ohnehin schon fruchtbaren und für seine Trauben bekannten Region von Jerez de la Frontera das Weingut Sánchez Romate Hermanos. Schnell etablierte sich das Familienunternehmen im Markt und überzeugte mit sehr guten Weinen. Die Anbauflächen wuchsen und die Weinherstellung lief auf Hochtouren. Es war die vierte Generation, die sich schlussendlich auf die Fahnen schrieb, einen hervorragenden Brandy zu kreieren. Liegt es ja eigentlich auch nahe, wo schon einmal ein exzellenter Grundstoff dafür hergestellt wurde. 1887 wurde der Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva geboren. Hergestellt nach dem Solera Verfahren werden, kurz gesagt, im Laufe des Reifeprozess des Brandys kontinuierlich verschiedene Jahrgänge miteinander vermählt. Bei Sánchez Romate Hermanos setzt man im Übrigen auf amerikanische Weißeiche, in denen bereits ein guter Sherry seinen Reifezyklus vollenden durfte. Diese alte Form der Lagerung und Vermählung beim Solera Verfahren ist schon ein wenig spektakulär, macht den Brandy aber auch so vielschichtig und schlussendlich kontinuierlich gut. Aus gutem Grund hält man seit mehr als einem Jahrhundert in der Bodéga Romate Hermanos an dieser Art des Finishs fest. This brandy is made from alquitars of the best "holandas" (a type of fortifying spirit) and is aged according to the traditional solera y criaderas system. The casks previously held Oloroso and Perdo Ximénez sherries. They form part of one of the largest Solera Gran Reserva cellars in Jerez.

Sánchez Romate Hermanos was founded in 1781 by the Spanish trader Juan Sánchez de la Torre in Jerez de la Frontera. It is one of the few remaining locally owned wineries in Jerez. Any place where wine is produced will produce its own brandy, and many are very good, but there are only three in the world which have legal protection of their name: Cognac, Armagnac and Brandy de Jerez. All three are excellent but they are very different.The cardenal Mendoza Brandy is a brandy of surpassing beauty and subtlety, and while I have no doubt it is good value for money, I can not help but say that it costs a lot to be so good, this brandy is just shy of the 50% mark (though it is not the most expensive in my current line up). The name of the brand is less than subtle, and I wonder if the distillers are hoping that once you have tasted the brand, you will be “satisfied” with it and not want to spend such money again.