Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real

A splendid Brandy of Cádiz aged an average of twenty-five years using the solera method for a rich palate and deep fragrance.

The history of the Sanchez Romate bodega goes all the way back to 1781 when it was founded by Juan Sánchez Latorre in the Spanish city of Cádiz. Remarkably, the entire operation is still in family hands. The bodega supports several brands, including their flagship Cardenal Mendoza line of solera-aged Brandy and six other exclusive Spirits.

Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real stands out from the rest of its fine sister Brandies. The first barrels were laid down in 1981 to celebrate the bicentennial of the bodega, but the first release did not come until the turn of the century when the grand Spirit was at perfection. The name of the release — Carta Real, the "Royal Letter" — comes from a royal state dinner served in 1900 at the royal palace of King Alfonso XII. Since the year 2000 this annual release has continued to advance in character with the average age of the Brandy reaching upwards of twenty-five years using the Solera method in ex-Sherry cask. This is an annual exclusive release and each bottle is hand-numbered.


Smartass Corner:
Cádiz sits on the Atlantic coast just about forty miles north of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean Sea opens up to the Ocean.