Gonzalez Byass Vina AB Amontillado Sherry (375ML half-bottle)
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James
Suckling -
Wine &
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Wilfred
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Wine
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Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Viña AB shows a light amber color due to some time in contact with oxygen. On the nose it has delicate nutty aromas of hazelnut and slight reminders of yeast. On the palate is have lovely balanced flavors of nut, subtle oak and caramel with slight saltiness on the finish. Serve chilled. Perfect with food such as rice dishes and strong flavors such as artichoke and asparagus.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Complex bouquet of toasted nuts and dried apricots, then a stunning combination of concentration and crispness on the palate with just a hint of something bitter. But that only makes it more refreshing. Keeps pumping out the flavors on the long finish.
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Wine & Spirits
González Byass used to call this wine a “Fino Amontillado,” signifying that it’s a Fino that lost most of its flor and began to oxidize, transitioning towards an Amontillado. Now called AB, a reference to Andrés Botaina, the original owner of the vineyard that supplied the grapes for the wine, this is a blend of wines that average 12 years of age. Youthful in its strength and vigor, this takes its time to reveal the fruity notes hidden behind the salty flavor. Then it becomes a refreshing and vibrant delight—a gentle giant in a state of vital youth.
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Wine Spectator
Lemon peel, singed almond and walnut notes form the core, with a faint clove hint meandering through as well. Offers a bracing feel on the finish, with a bitter green tea echo. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Showing a superb Amontillado aroma, the Gonzalez Byass Viña AB offers an excellent nuttiness and minerality in its aromas. The wine's palate is smooth and mostly dry. Pair it with a dry jack and toasted almonds. (Tasted: November 15, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
This amontillado smells complete, with a tight aromatic mix of raw wood, brine, citrus and dried stone fruits. The palate is racy, with razor-like acidity. Intense flavors of dried apricot, tart nectarine and almond skins finish full and lasting, with cutting acidity.
González Byass was created in 1835 by Manuel Maria González and remains in family hands today, now in the fifth and sixth generation. Founded in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, in the heart of Sherry country, it is dedicated to the production of high-quality sherries. The Sherry triangle, made up of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda, has a unique microclimate influenced by the surrounding Atlantic Ocean and Guadalquivir and Guadalete rivers. Production is dominated by the Palomino variety, and vines are planted in the white Albariza soil, with high chalk content which is excellent for retaining moisture. These soil conditions, combined with over 3,000 hours of annual sunshine, fresh, humid breezes from the west (poniente) and warm, dry breezes from the east (levante) have formed the perfect marriage with the Palomino variety to produce an array of sherry styles.
All sherries are aged following the traditional Solera system where the wines are blended in 600 litre American oak casks. Many styles are produced with distinctive characters depending on whether they have been aged under the influence of the flor (a layer of natural yeast) or as an oloroso (in contact with oxygen).
Sherry is a fortified wine that comes in many styles from dry to sweet. True Sherry can only be made in Andalucía, Spain where the soil and unique seasonal changes give a particular character to its wines. The process of production—not really the grape—determine the type, though certain types are reserved for certain grapes. Palomino is responsible for most dry styles; Pedro Ximénez and Muscat of Alexandria are used for blending or for sweet styles.
Known more formally as Jerez de la Frontera, Jerez is a city in Andalucía in southwest Spain and the center of the Jerez region and sherry production. Sherry is a mere English corruption of the term Jerez, while in French, Jerez is written, Xérès. Manzanilla is the freshest style of sherry, naturally derived from the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.