Avery Palo Cortado?

[Jenise]

We love sherry, so I considered a few bottles of Avery NV Palo Cortado that I found for sale the other day at auction. I know that Palo Cortados have the potential to be amazing, and I don't know if there are low-end, uninteresting, facsimile versions of Palo Cortado running around, but almost everything rare and expensive have low-end, uninteresting, facsimile versions running around, and after searching the 'net and finding no mention of a brand called Avery ANYwhere, neither for sale nor in tasting note, I decided these had high potential for being just that. The value was estimated to be $35-100, an extremely unusual wide swath for that site whose typical estimate is a low-high differential of around $15-30. Which suggested that they really didn't know what they had either. There were no other bids, and I passed.

Right call in that situation and I'm not second-guessing myself here, but just in case this is something totally rare and wonderful I'd like to know so that if there is a next time I go the other way.

Anyone have a clue?

Averys of Bristol is a fine old British merchant that often bottled under its own label (and still does today). Very highly regarded - I've had Bordeaux's from the 40's in perfect condition.
They also were very active in Port (in particular) and Sherry and have their own 'brands' for those. Currently their own-label bottlings are from Lustau (for sherry) and Taylor, Fladgate (for Port) - but the actual source will depend on when they were bottled.

[Jenise]

Averys of Bristol is a fine old British merchant that often bottled under its own label (and still does today). Very highly regarded - I've had Bordeaux's from the 40's in perfect condition.
They also were very active in Port (in particular) and Sherry and have their own 'brands' for those. Currently their own-label bottlings are from Lustau (for sherry) and Taylor, Fladgate (for Port) - but the actual source will depend on when they were bottled.

Alan, thanks much for that. So now the variable would be the age of the bottles. Well, I guess there's one way to find out!

You've heard of Harveys? Avery's were the other Bristol wine shipper and merchant who didn't have the marketing nous to think of a good name for their sherry

Long time - since 1793 - family owned firm, current chairman is John Avery MW but he has sold controlling interest in the company to a major mail order/internet merchant called Laithwaites, who operate it as a separate entity.

Avery's web-site is http://www.averys.com/

When I started getting into wine I used to buy my en-premieurs from them, and I remember one time they had a clearout oftheir cellars. Lots of v old Avery Bristol bottled classed growth clarets. Ummm.

So now the variable would be the age of the bottles. Well, I guess there's one way to find out!

Has it got the EU 'e' logo next to the bottle size? Does it have the abv?

[Jenise]

So now the variable would be the age of the bottles. Well, I guess there's one way to find out!

Has it got the EU 'e' logo next to the bottle size? Does it have the abv?

No way to tell. There's a photo, but one can't see any detail.