Lepanto Solera Gran Reserva Pedro Ximenez Brandy 750ml
Lepanto is the flagship brandy of González Byass, one of the great sherry houses of Jerez de la Frontera. The brand takes its name from the 1571 naval battle near Patras, Greece, where the fleet of the Holy League defeated the Ottoman navy. González Byass had produced brandy since the 1840s, but the Lepanto solera itself was established in 1896, and the house remains the only bodega in Jerez that actually distills its own brandy on site rather than buying finished spirit.
Lepanto is made from Palomino Fino grapes, unusual for Brandy de Jerez, since most producers rely on Airén grown farther north in La Mancha. The wine is double distilled in Charentais pot stills, with only the heart of the run, known locally as holanda, selected for aging. For this Pedro Ximénez expression, the spirit matures twelve years in American oak casks that previously held Tio Pepe sherry, then spends an additional three years finishing in casks seasoned with thirty year old Pedro Ximénez Noé, following the traditional solera and criaderas system.
The result is a mahogany brandy with golden tones, offering deep aromas of raisin, fig, and toasted oak alongside caramel and warm spice. The palate is rich and velvety, layered with toffee and honeyed sweetness, closing on a long, luxurious finish shaped by the Pedro Ximénez influence.