| Region of production: | Jerez-Xérès-Sherry |
| Winery Location: | Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz) |
| Year Established: | 1877 |
Vineyard Holdings
over 485 ha
Top Wines Produced
- Dry Sack – house’s signature sweetened wine, best seller
- Dry Sack Fino – formally known as Pando (until 2002), aged 5-6 years
- Collection range: Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Ooloroso, Cream, PX
Inaugural Vintage
- 1906 for the “Drysack” blend
- house first introduced añada wines in 1919
Average Total Production
- 9,000,000 bottles
Summary
Alexander Williams and Arthur Humbert founded the house in 1877. Williams was a sherry enthusiast and Humbert specialized in international relations and family connections lead to the firm’s creation. The brand took off in 1906 with its medium Dry Sack, a blend of Amontillado, Oloroso, and small amounts of Pedro Ximénez. The wine went on to one of the most iconic sweetened Sherries in the world and is still their flagship wine to this day. It remains the majority of their production to this day.
During the 1920s, Williams and Humbert helped create the Jerez-Xérès-Brandy Quality Demarcation and the Consejo Regulador. The house remained under family ownership until 1972 when it was bought by Rumasa. But the tumultuous break up of Rumasa in 1983 (one of the biggest scandals in Spain’s wine industry) led to the Medina Family’s present day ownership.
Style & Vinification Techniques
The house is often associated with a plusher and sweeter style overall, but do produce smaller quantities of dry wines in their Collections range. The medium Dry Sack is a blend of Amontillado, Oloroso, and a touch of Pedro Ximénez. The wines are raised in separate soleras for three years before blending, and age another three years blended before release. Each year the house holds back one barrel for their collection of añada Sherries, but the small quantity means they are rare in the marketplace and mostly found in auctions or as library pieces for the house.
Producer Website: Williams & Humbert