Generous wines & casks
A system of traditional "criaderas y soleras" in Montilla-Moriles
Originating centuries ago in southern Spain, the Criadera Solera is a system of fractional blending used to transform simple white wines into complex, full-bodied wines. This aging process uses a structure consisting of several layers of stacked barrels. The layers are numbered and called criaderas.
Each year, the best wines of a new vintage are selected to fill a portion of the top row of casks, the youngest criadera. Over the years, the wines are moved through the different levels and blended with older wines until they reach the ground level, the solera. It is from the last solera cask that the wines are bottled. This process takes many years and produces some very interesting, harmonious creations. Many distillers, especially of rum, have adopted this method of maturation.
Levels of casks: PX criadera solera - generous wine nurseries
The Myth of the “Solera Cask” in Spirits
Because Criadera Solera casks produce beautiful wines and are often very old (many over 100 years), it is sometimes assumed that these casks produce the best spirits. With few exceptions, this is not true.
For one, the barrels that form part of this system are rarely sold. They are essentially permanent fixtures in Andalusian bodegas. If they have a problem, they are repaired. The older they get, the more valuable they become. They are often considered family heirlooms. If they were regularly put on the market, there would be no sherry!
Also, authentic Criadera Solera barrels lack the tannins that many distillers desire, so they are not exactly ideal for spirits.
Seasoned casks racked and aging - destined for spirit production
Seasoned Casks - Finishing Casks - Industry Standard
Sherry casks used for the production of spirits are known as “Seasoned” or “Finishing” casks. These have been tailor-made for the spirits industry since 1986, when the use of transport casks was banned by a Spanish law that required all wines to be bottled in Spain rather than shipped in bulk in barrels.
Surprisingly, despite decades of use, this product is still poorly understood. This is probably due as much to the persistence of the “Solera Cask” myth as to a lack of information about production methods and wines intended for aging.
The fact is that seasoned barrels, when properly prepared, are of excellent quality and are very similar to the transport casks used for hundreds of years to ship wine from Spain to England and throughout the British Empire.
Factors that determine the quality of finishing casks include the choice of wood (a few premium brands prefer Spanish oak, but harvesting in northern Spain is very limited, so it's not an option for most), the condition of the barrel (how well it's been refurbished and prepared), the quality of wine, and the amount of time aged.
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More to come.
