Sherry Styles

Question 1

Fino/Manzanilla

Answer 1

Biologically Aged Sherry

General Characteristics

• Appearance: Pale lemon
• Style: Dry
• Body: Light to medium
• Acidity: Low
• Alcohol: 15–15.5% abv
• Aromas (depending on maturation length):
  • Acetaldehyde
  • Bread dough
  • Almonds
  • Less emphasis on primary fruit
• Quality levels: Good to Outstanding
• Price range: Inexpensive to Premium/Super Premium

Manzanilla

• Location: Must be produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda
• DO: Qualifies as DO Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda
• Climate:
  • Proximity to Atlantic = more maritime
  • Milder summers and winters
  • Higher humidity
  • Conditions are ideal for flor development
• Flor development:
  • Forms a thicker and more consistent layer
  • However, due to different yeast strain profile, the strain producing the most acetaldehyde is absent
    • → Less acetaldehyde than Fino
    • → Greater protection from oxygen
    • → Lighter and fresher than Fino
• Solera system:
  • Replenished more frequently with young wines
  • Bottled more often than Fino to maintain flor

Fino

• Produced mainly in: Jerez
• Flor characteristics:
  • Seasonal temperature changes (hot summers, cooler winters)
  • Flor thins during extreme conditions (summer and winter)
  • Results in slightly more exposure to oxygen
  • Often slightly fuller and more intense than Manzanilla

Question 2

Fino Viejo / Manzanilla Pasada

Answer 2

biological ageing
avg age of 7y
flor left to die naturally by not adding new for about a year
then may enter solera system for Fino Viejo / Manzanilla Pasada

Question 3

Amontillado

Answer 3

Amontillado

Ageing Style

• Combination of both:
  • Biological ageing (under flor)
  • Followed by oxidative ageing
• Typical Path:
  1. Begins in a Fino solera system (biological ageing under flor)
  2. Then:
     • Option 1: Flor naturally dies off over time as nutrients deplete
     • Option 2: Wine is drawn off and refortified to \~17% abv to intentionally kill the flor
  3. Transferred to Amontillado solera system for oxidative ageing
• No set time requirement for biological or oxidative phases

Characteristics

• Alcohol: Always over 16% abv
• Aromas:
  • From biological ageing:
    • Apple
    • Almond
    • Fresh bread
  • From oxidative ageing:
    • Spice
    • Herbs
    • Tobacco
• Palate:
  • Dry
  • Lighter body due to loss of glycerol during biological phase

Quality and Pricing

• Inexpensive:
  • Often made by blending younger criaderas from Fino with wine aged briefly in an Amontillado solera
• Mid-priced / Premium / Super-Premium:
  • Longer ageing = more complexity and depth

Question 4

Palo Cortado

Answer 4

Palo Cortado

Ageing Process

• First Classification: Destined for biological ageing (Fino), but flor didn’t develop enough to enter Fino at the second classification.
• After second classification, wine is refortified to 17% abv and enters the Palo Cortado solera system for oxidative ageing.
• Never in Fino solera system = less biological ageing, so acetaldehyde levels are lower than Amontillado.
• Glycerol levels higher than Amontillado, which leads to a slightly fuller and rounder mouthfeel.

Characteristics

• Aromas:
  • Similar to Amontillado (apple, almond, fresh bread) but with more oxidative characteristics (spice, herbs, tobacco).
• Palate:
  • Dry, closer to Oloroso due to oxidative ageing.
  • Fuller body compared to Amontillado because of higher glycerol levels and oxidation.
• Alcohol: 17-22% abv
• Residual Sugar: Dry (below 5g/L)

Quality and Pricing

• Inexpensive: Rare, typically mid-priced to premium.
• Quality: Ranges from very good to outstanding.

Question 5

Oloroso

Answer 5

Oloroso

Fortification & Colour

• After fermentation, fortified to 17% abv or above to inhibit flor growth.
• Brown colour due to oxidative ageing.

Characteristics

• Aromas:
  • Dried fruits like raisin or prune.
  • Oxidative characteristics such as caramel and walnut.
• Alcohol: 18-22% abv.
• Residual Sugar: Typically dry, but can vary slightly.

Styles and Pricing

• Inexpensive: Acceptable to good, typically drawn from earlier stages of solera.
• Premium: Very good to outstanding, drawn from later stages of solera.

Question 6

PX

Answer 6

naturally sweet
mn. 212g/L RS (usual 450-500glL)
full body, syrup-like consistency
low acidity
pronounced aromas of raisins, molasses, liquorice
15-22% abv

inexpensive to premium
good - outstanding
can be used as sweetening components

Question 7

Moscatel

Answer 7

naturally sweet
less common
min 160g/L RS (usual 325 - 375g/L)
either protective non-ox.style or oxid. in butts for several years
aromatic nature of Moscatel (more or less, dep. on maturation)
15-22% abv

inexpensive to premium
good - outstanding
can be used as sweetening components

Question 8

Pale Cream

Answer 8

undergone biological ageing before sweetening
RCGM generally used = no colour/flavour added
45 - 115g/L RS
light flor character but sweetening component slightly dilutes characteristics
not aged for long
medium sweet - sweet
most: inexpensive, acceptable - good quality

Question 9

Medium/Cream

Answer 9

Sherry Styles:

Past Styles:

• Medium Sherry (M.S.): Used to show both biological and oxidative ageing characteristics.
• Cream Sherry (C.S.): Originally oxidative only.

Today’s Styles:

• Both M.S. and C.S. can be blends of biological and oxidative aged wines, or exclusively one style.

Sweetened Sherry Styles:

• Biologically Aged Sweetened = Pale Cream
• Blended Biological and Oxidative Aged = Medium Sherry (Sweetened)
• Oloroso Sweetened = Cream Sherry
  • Medium Sherry: 4-115 g/L residual sugar
  • Cream Sherry: 115-140 g/L residual sugar
  • Sweetening typically done with PX, sometimes with RCGM or blends of both.

Quality and Price Range:

• Inexpensive to Premium
• Quality: Ranges from acceptable to outstanding.
  • Cheapest: Younger wines.
  • Expensive: Higher proportion of well-matured Amontillado, Oloroso, and PX.

Question 10

SHERRIES WITH INDICATION OF AGE

Answer 10

VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum)

• Average Age: 20 years or more.
• Quality: Very good to outstanding.
• Price: Premium / Super-premium.
• Batch Assessment: Each batch from the bodega is assessed for typicity by a tasting panel.
• Ageing Considerations: Astringency may increase with age, and a little sweet wine (usually PX) can be added, as long as it doesn’t mask the wine’s character.
• Testing: Laboratory tests and tastings are used, along with a quota system that allows a certain percentage of stock to be sold.

VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum)

• Average Age: 30 years or more.
• Quality: Very good to outstanding.
• Price: Premium / Super-premium.
• Batch Assessment: Similar to VOS, each batch is assessed for typicity by a tasting panel.

12 and 15-year-old Sherries

• Assessment: Still undergo tasting and lab analysis like the VOS and VORS, but applied to the entire solera system, not individual batches.