Elaboration: Distillation in pot stills at 65º to obtain excellent eau-de-vie. The extraordinary characteristics of this Brandy are the result of the meticulous selection of the raw materials used in its production. It begins with the selection of excellent white wines from Palomino and Airén grapes, early distillation, and the method are crucial for the final quality of the distillates (eau-de-vie). The eau-de-vie is aged in American oak casks that have previously been seasoned with Oloroso wine, following the traditional Solera and Criadera system, entering the system through the criadera and flowing through these until reaching the solera, rigorously controlling the volume of extractions to maintain the brandy’s age constant.
The Brand: The Gran Duque de Alba brandy was launched in 1945. The agent of Williams Humbert Winery in Madrid had a great friendship with Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart y Falcó, XVII Duke of Alba, and with the imminent launch of this exclusive brandy, he asked if he could name it after him. After tasting it, the aristocrat was pleasantly impressed and suggested that for such a noble product, it would be more fitting to give it the name of his ancestor, the Great Duke of Alba, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, who had enhanced the house of Alba and was an important historical figure.