Maturation & Storage

How long does Brandy de Jerez age, and why in sherry casks? The brandy matures in oak casks under 1,000 liters that previously held Jerez wine. Locally these are called "botas." The older the class, the more tartaric acid the brandy must have drawn from the wood, and this too is measured.

Aging takes place in the criaderas y solera system, which the bodegas have used for their sherry for over a hundred years. The casks are arranged in tiers, called criaderas, with only the last tier called the solera. A portion is drawn from each tier, known as the "saca," and passed on to the next; the gap is refilled with "rocío" from the previous tier. Bottling is done only from the solera.

The age is therefore an average. You divide the total brandy in the system by the amount bottled in a year. If there are 3,000 liters of pure alcohol in the system and 1,000 are released per year, the average is three years. Since no more than twice as many draws as tiers are allowed, even the youngest fraction is at least six months old.

This is how the classes arise: Solera, averaging more than six months; Solera Reserva, averaging more than one year; Solera Gran Reserva, averaging more than three years. A Gran Reserva therefore doesn't consist entirely of three-year-olds, but of a blend whose average exceeds that figure.

Particularly old brandies are called Vejez Calificada: Solera 12, 15, 18 and 30 años, averaging more than 12, 15, 18 or 30 years respectively. Under the regulations, the actual year may only appear on the label once EU law permits it. The vintage brandy "de Añada" ages for more than twelve years without being blended with other vintages.

The climate plays its part: average temperatures range between 16 and 20°C, with humidity above 70%. The humid Poniente wind from the Atlantic and the dry Levante wind balance each other out. The bodegas have high ceilings, thick walls and earthen floors that are watered depending on the season.