Pío X

Naturally Sweet Sherry Wines

Papales wines edition

Our comprehensive archives confirm the company tradition of laying down wines in honour of newly elected popes. Pedro Nolasco Gonzalez de Soto, eldest son of the founder and my great grandfather, dedicated a very fine, old Sherry to the new pope Pius X (Pio X in Spanish) in 1903 as his father had done on the occasions of previous papal elections. Gonzalez Byass still has the casks dedicated by his father, the founder of the company, to Pius IX (dated 1846) and Leon Xll (dated 1878).

Elaboration

This wine is a Moscatel which we simply call 'Pio X'. It is likely to be from the Muscat variety called Moscatel Menudo Blanco (Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains) 1. It was widely grown in Jerez in the mid-19th century prior to phylloxera and by the mid-20th century its plantings were replaced by Moscatel Gordo Blanco (Muscat of Alexandria). This variety is still one of the two sweet grape varieties permitted today in D0 Jerez. When this Moscatel, Pio X, was actually made there were forty different grape varieties grown in the Sherry region. So this wine was made prior to phylloxera.

Pio X cannot be categorised technically as Sherry as it was never fortified and has 9% alcohol. It comes from just one small cask that contains 90 litres; enough for 120 bottles. Only 100 numbered bottles will ever be released for sale. The remaining 20 bottles will be laid down in the Gonzalez family's bottle cellar, El Aljibe.

VarietyMoscatel Menudo Blanco

Alcoholic content9% vol.