43. Sherry Flashcards
Where is the center of the Sherry industry?
Jerez, which surrounds the southern Spanish town of Jerez de la Frontera
Where must Sherry be matured?
- Sanlucar de Barrameda
2. El Puerto de Santa Maria
Describe the climate of Jerez. Name and describe the two famous winds of Jerez.
Hot Mediterranean Climate -coastal vineyards are cooler -high annual rainfall Poniente: cool, humid westerly wind Levante: hot, drying wind from the east (stresses the grapes)
What is the soil of Jerez? Why is it good?
Albariza
- chalky
- water capacity: stores enough water to sustain the vines during the hot dry summers
- rectangular pits dug between the rows of vines to trap water and reduce run-off (dug after the harvest)
What are the three main grape varieties of Jerez?
- Palomino
- Pedro Ximenez (PX)
- Muscat of Alexandria
Describe Palomino.
- low acid
- lack varietal aromas (ideal for Sherry)
Describe Pedro Ximenez (PX).
- little varietal aromas
- thin skin (good for sun drying)
- sweet sherries
Describe Muscat of Alexandria.
-sweet sherries
Describe fermentation of the base wines for sherry.
- Palomino
- rushed to press to avoid oxidation (so hot)
- large stainless steel fermentation at higher temps than normal for whites (goal = neutral base wine)
- base wine: dry, 11-12% abv
What is the “first classification” for sherry?
- during autumn
- wines classified into two groups
1. biological aging (lighter, paler wines with more finesse – typically grown in the cooler, coastal regions, fermented at lower temperatures)
2. oxidative aging (darker, richer, heavier wines – typically grown inland, warmer regions, fermented at higher temperatures)
What happens after the first classifications?
- Fortification: wines are fortified using a 96% abv grape spirit
- Sobretabla: wines set aside for a few months
What are biologically aged wines fortified to? Why?
15-15.5% abv
- perfect for the development of Flor
- leads to second classification (if the Flor develop correctly)
During the second classification, what happens to wines that are not developing flor correctly?
Either:
- refortified
- sent for oxidative aging
- rejected altogether
What are biologically aged wines fortified to? Why?
17% abv
-at this strength, flor dies
What is sobretabla and to which method aging is it more important to?
The few-month time period after fortification where wines are set aside before they are incorporated into the solara system.
- more important for biologically aged wines (development of flor)
- no need to see if flor develops for oxidatively aged wines
For naturally sweet styles of sherry, what happens to the grapes after harvest?
- sun-dried to concentrate sugar levels
- develops raisin flavors
Describe fermentation and fortification for naturally sweet styles of sherry.
- desired must weight achieved during sun-drying
- grapes pressed
- fermentation begins
- concentrated juice; yeast struggle; low alcohol
- fortified to 17% abv
What must sherry be matured in? Why?
butts: 600-liter oak barrels
- all oak flavor eliminated
- oak needed to allow oxygen to reach the wine
- max 5/6ths full
How do producers keep their maturation environments cool?
- thick whitewashed walls
- high ceilings
- windows that point towards the cooling poniente winds
- earth floors (damp) = humidity
- some are air conditioned
Describe the solera system. What is solera?
- several levels of butts (criaderas)
- number of criaderas can vary from 3 to 14
- solera is the final level of the system that holds the wine of the oldest average age.
-equal amount of wine is taken from each butt of the solera
-solera is not emptied; replenished from the butts in the next level that contain wine of a slightly younger average age (first criaderas)
-equal amount taken from each butt in the first criadera, this is blended, then added to each butt in the solera
etc.
What is the main advantage of the solera system? What are the cons?
-consistency
CONS:
- can ruin the whole system if bad wine is added
- can ruin the whole system if too much wine is taken out each year
What is flor?
- number of east strains
- forms thick layer on surface of wine
- feed off alcohol and nutrients in wine and oxygen
- produce CO2 and acetaldehyde (unique flavor)
- protects wines from oxidation
What does flor need to thrive? What time of the year does it grow well?
- precise level of alcohol 15-15.5% abv
- precise temperature (cool to moderate)
- humidity
-grows well in spring and autumn; dies in winter and summer
Why are butts only partially filled?
So that Flor can have access to oxygen
Why is wine taken from the solera system rarely older (avg age) than 3-4 years?
- as the avg age of the wine increase, the nutrient level decreases
- flor can fail at low nutrient levels = oxidation
In oxidative aging, why are the butts filled partially?
-impact of oxidation is greatly enhanced
In oxidative aging, what does the introduction of new wine into the solera system add?
preserves the base character of sherry which would otherwise become overly oxidized
How long can sherries be aged oxidatively?
up to 30 years (rare)
Is is common to have sherries that are the product of only 1 solera system?
No - typically blends from several systems
What are the 5 dry styles of sherry?
- Fino
- Manzanilla
- Oloroso
- Amontillado
- Palo Cortado
Describe Fino and Manzanilla Sherries.
- biological aging
- pale lemon
- citrus, almonds, herbs, bready
- tangy, salty
- do not improve in bottle; drik now
What is the difference between Fino and Manzanilla Sherries?
Manzanilla de Sanlucar DO
- matured in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda
- cooler, more humid = thicker flor = more intensely tangy_
What is en rama?
Fino or Manzanilla Sherries that have undergone minimal fining and filtering
Describe an Oloroso Sherry.
- oxidative aging
- brown
- full body
- oxidative aromas: toffee, leather, spice, walnut
Describe an Amontillado Sherry.
Some biological aging; some oxidative aging:
- after biological aging complete, fortified to 17% abv to kill the floor
- then enter the solera system
- amber or brown
- less full bodied than Oloroso
- yeasty and oxidative aromas
- yeast aromas fade with age
Describe a Palo Cortado Sherry.
- rare, high quality
- aroma characteristics of Amontilldo
- body and richness of Oloroso
What are naturally sweet styles of Sherry? Describe each.
- Pedro Ximenez (PX)
- deep brown
- luciously sweet (500 g/L rs)
- dried fruit, coffee, liquorice - Muscat
- deep brown
- luciously sweet (500 g/L rs)
- varietal dried citrus peel
What are the sweetened styles of Sherry?
- Pale Cream
- Medium
- Cream
What is a Pale Cream Sherry? Describe it.
Sweetened Fino Sherry
-pronounced flor character
What is a Medium Sherry? Describe it.
- biological and oxidative aging
- sweetened Amontillado Sherry
- typically sweetened with PX
- toffee, leather, walnut
- dried fruit
What is a Cream Sherry? Describe it.
- oxidative aging
- sweetened Oloroso Sherry
- typically sweetened with PX
- toffee, leather, walnut
- dried fruit
What are the four categories of age-indicated Sherries? TO which types of sherries do these categories apply?
Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Olorosso, PX
- VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum/Very Old Rare Sherry) - avg age of blend = 30
- VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum/Very Old Sherry) - avg age of blend = 20
- 15 years old (apply to whole solera system)
- 12 years old (apply to whole solera system)
