2.3: Sherry - Styles of Sherry Flashcards
To be labelled as a specific standard style, the wine must conform to what?
certain attributes as set by the Consejo Regulador
What are the main attributes that the wines must conform too?
- level of residual sugar
- typical alcohol level
- colour
- other characteristics that are in line with how the wine has been matured
What is the maximum residual sugar Dry Sherries must have?
5 g/L
How are Fino and Manzanilla Sherries aged?
spent their entire ageing process under a film of flor (biological ageing)
Describe Fino and Manzanilla Sherries.
- pale lemon in colour
- dry
- light to medium bodied
- low acidity
- low alcohol of 15-15.5% abv
- aromas and flavours depend on the length of time they have spent in the solera but may include aromas associated with acetaldehyde rather than primary fruit, bread dough and almonds
- good to outstanding quality
- inexpensive to premium, even super-premium
What wines qualify as Manzanilla? What is their full name?
- wines that are matured in the coastal municipality of Sanlúcar de Barrameda
- Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda
What does aging in the coastal municipality of Sanlúcar de Barmaids mean for the wines?
- ideal conditions for flor growth: proximity to the Atlantic, and hence its maritime climate, means that it does not have such extreme summers and winters and that humidity is relatively high
- thick layers of flor year round
Do Manzanilla sherries have higher levels of acetaldehyde than Fino? Why or why not?
- no
- differences in the flor strains between the two towns
- strain shown to produce highest levels of acetaldehyde not present in flor samples taken from Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Why do Manzanillas often taste lighter and fresher than Finos?
greater protection from oxygen and lower levels of acetaldehyde
What do the thicker levels of flor in the Manzanilla solera systems mean? What does this mean for the release of these wines?
- they need replenishing with young wines more frequently to support this growth
- small volumes of wine will be released and bottled several times throughout the year to ensure that the flor is constantly maintained
What is Manzanilla Pasada?
labelling term that describes a Manzanilla subjected to a short period of oxidative ageing
Describe how Manzanilla Pasada is aged. Describe the wines.
- flor may be left to die naturally by not refreshing the barrels with new wine for around a year
- wine then enters Manzanilla Pasada solera system
- wines on average a couple of years older than Manzanilla wines, beyond which they start to become more like Amontillado
What is Amontillado?
must have attributes from both biological and oxidative ageing
Describe how Amontillado is aged.
- wines will start in a Fino solera system
- re-fortified to 17% abv to kill the flor
- then matured oxidatively in an Amontillado solera system
How is inexpensive Amontillado typically made?
likely to use young biologically aged wines (e.g. those taken out of one of the youngest criaderas in a Fino solera system) that then are blended into an Amontillado solera system, again, for a short period of ageing
How is more expensive Amontillado typically made?
matured for longer and hence be more complex
What is the typically quality and price range for Amontillado?
- good to outstanding in quality
- mid-priced to premium, even super-premium
What style of Sherry is the most difficult to define?
Palo Cortado
To be classified as a Palo Cortado, what must be true? (Think about the general attributes and also the specific regulations.)
- aromas similar to those of an Amontillado
- palate more similar to that of an Oloroso
- consequence of its oxidative ageing once the initial film of flor has disappeared
- sugar level under 5 g/L
- alcohol of between 17-22% abv
What are the winemaking and maturation specifications for Palo Cortado?
None!
Most commonly, how are Palo Cortado sherries made?
undergone a number of years in a Fino solera system to then be put into a Palo Cortado solera system
What wines are typically selected for the Palo Cortado system?
generally Finos at the Second Classification that are
- less delicate
- show more complexity
- perhaps less able to support a thick layer of flor so have already undergone some mild oxidation
How does a producer’s Palo Cortado compare to their Amontillado? Why?
- acetaldehyde aromas present but less prominent than Amontillado
- glycerol levels higher, concentration of the components in the wine, means that Palo Cortados usually have a slightly fuller, rounder body than those of Amontillados
- Palo Cortado will generally have spent less time biologically ageing than their Amontillado
What is the typically quality and price range for Palo Cortado?
- some mid-priced Palo Cortados
- more often premium price
- very good or outstanding quality
Describe Oloroso sherries.
- attributes from oxidative ageing
- brown in colour
- dominated by tertiary, oxidative aromas of toffee and walnut
How are Oloroso sherries made?
after fermentation, fortified to 17% abv to stop flor developing
What is the typically quality and price range for Well-matured Olorosos?
- very good or outstanding quality
- premium prices