Tio Pepe Fino En Rama Gonzales Byass 37.5cl half bottle

Tio Pepe Fino En Rama by Gonzales Byass is a limited release dry Sherry. It is also bottled as “En Rama”. En Rama is often considered the purest expression of biological ageing; this is Tio Pepe without filtration or clarification, taken directly from the barrel in Spring when the ‘flor’ growth is at its thickest. This is the 2021 bottling.

Gonzales Byass was founded in 1835 when the pioneering 23 year old Manuel Maria Gonzalez left his banking career for more noble pursuits. Manuel sought business advice from his uncle, José María Ángel y Vargas, or “mi tio Pepe”, as he used to call him. In 1844, Gonzales joined forces with an English wine merchant by the name of Robert Blake Byass and the first exports to the UK began. Export to the rest of the world followed fairly shortly. Manuel Maria Gonzalez was always at the cutting edge, indeed he was one of the first to trademark a brand in Spain and the first winery in Spain to be supplied with electricity. Today the fifth generation of the family run the business.

Like the famous Tio Pepe Sherry, this Fino Sherry is also produced from the Palomino Fino grape variety grown in the chalky ‘albariza’ soil of Jerez. The unique ageing system of Solera and Criaderas contributes to its remarkably consistent quality. It is aged under a protective covering of fresh, naturally occuring yeast, known as ‘flor’, for a minimum of 5 years in the quietness of the cellar.

En Rama translates as “raw” meaning the wine has been bottled straight from the cask with no fining or filtration to preserve the body and freshness. As this wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined, it is likely to throw a deposit or sediment. Cloudiness from the very fine particles of yeast will settle after a couple of days and should not impair your enjoyment of the wine. It is also suitable for vegans and vegetarian.

Every bottling of  Tio Pepe Fino En Rama has a different label, a design based on original artwork sourced from Tio Pepe’s historical archives, dating back to the late 1800’s.