Sherry Flashcards
What are the 3 towns of the Sherry Triangle?
Jerez de la Frontera
Sanlucar de Barrameda
Puerto de Santa Maria
Describe the climate of the Sherry region.
Hot, sunny and Mediterranean, slightly cooler by the coast
High rainfall but limited in the growing season
What are the cool, humid and hot, arid winds called?
Poniente = Cool, humid, westerly Levante = Hot and arid
What is the soil in Sherry region, what is it largely made up of and how do Vine growers use it to best effect?
Albariza
Very high Chalk content
Good drainage of Winter rain but retains water at deep levels to sustain vine through hot Summer
Pits dug in Autumn to catch water, smoothed over in Spring
Forms hard crust to seal moisture in and limit evaporation
What grapes are used to make sherry?
Palomino - vast majority
Pedro Ximinez
Muscat of Alexandria
How is Palomino processed to make base wine
Into winery and pressed ASAP to avoid oxidation
Steel tank ferment, high temp, 20~25c to produce neutral wine
Once Palamino is made into base wine which two directions can it head in?
Lighter, more finessed wines - Biological ageing (under Flor)
Darker wines - Oxidative ageing (no Flor)
To what % is base wine fortified?
With what? What strength is it?
Biological ageing wines - 15%~15.5%
Oxidative ageing wines - 17%
Fortified with pure grape spirit at 96% abv
Where do wines spend time before introduction into the Solera system?
In the Sobretabla for a few months
How are grapes processed for Sweet styles?
Sun dried to raisin them
Ferment to a few % abv as yeast struggles with so much sugar
Fortified to 17%
What size are the barrels in the Solera system?
What are they called?
How full are they kept?
600 ltr
Butts
5/6th full to allow oxygen
What does flor need to survive?
Cool, humid conditions
consumes alcohol and nutrients in the wine
What are the levels of the Solera system called?
Criaderas
How is wine removed from the Solera System and how is it topped up?
Taken from the bottom level called the Solera
Blended wine from 1st Criadera tops up Solera
Blended wine from 2nd Criadera tops up first
Blended wine from 3rd Criadera tops up 2nd etc etc etc
Wine in Sobretabla used to top up the top level Criadera
What does Acetaldehyde do to sherry?
Gives Biological Sherry its unique aromas and flavours of Citrus fruit, almonds, herbs and bready aromas (created by flor)
Which sherries are completely aged Biologically?
Which two sherries start under flor before being transferred to oxidative Solera system?
Fino, Manzanilla and Pale Cream - 100% Biological
Amontillado and Palo Cortado starts Biologically then transferred to Oxidative Solera. Also Medium sherry
Which sherries are aged Oxidatively?
Oloroso, Cream, PX, some Muscats
& Amontillado after a period of time ageing biologically.
Why, in particular, does the Oxidative Solera system need to be kept fed with young wine?
To avoid over oxidation of wine in the Solera System - replenishing/feeding the flor.
Are sherries fined and filtered?
Yes, but kept to a minimum to maintain flavour
What do you call Fino sherry from Sanlucar?
How does it differ from that of Jerez and why?
How is it labelled if really minimal fining and filtering?
Manzanilla de Sanlucar de Barrameda
Cooler coast keeps Flor active all year = more tangy sherry
Minimal fining and filtering = En Rama
Which ageing method is used for Oloroso
Give simple tasting notes
Oxidative
Brown, full bodied. Toffee, leather, spice and walnut
What ageing process is used for Amontillado?
Give simple tasting notes
Biological then Oxidative
Amber or brown, lighter than Oloroso. Yeasty plus oxidative aromas
Describe Palo Cortado and why is it unusual?
Aroma of Amontillado but body of Oloroso
Starts out Biologically but flor dies so starts ageing oxidatively
When cellar master realises, fortified to 17.5% abv then continues being oxidised
What is Pale Cream and what is it sweetened with?
Sweetened Fino, sweetened with RCGM
What is Medium sherry and what is it sweetened with?
Give simple tasting notes
Sweetened Amontillado, sweetened with PX
Balances toffee, leather and walnut of dry wine with dried fruit of PX
What is Cream sherry and what is it sweetened with?
Give simple tasting notes
Sweetened Oloroso, sweetened with PX
Balance of toffee, leather, walnuts of dry wine with dried fruit of PX
Which sherries are naturally sweet?
Give simple tasting notes
PX - Deep brown and lusciously sweet (upto 500g/L sugar)
Pronounced dried fruit, coffee and liquorice
Muscat - Similar to PX but keeps dried citrus peel character
What are the age indications for Sherry?
VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) - 30 year old
VOS (Very Old Sherry) - 20 yo
Each batch tested to ensure it complies
Pale Cream Sherry is a sweetened ………………….?
Medium Sherry is a sweetened ……………………?
Cream Sherry is a sweetened ……………………..?
Pale Cream is a Fino sweetened with RCGM
Medium Sherry is an Amontillado sweetened with PX
Cream sherry is an Oloroso Sherry sweetened with PX
Where do grapes used to make Pedro Ximénez sherry come from?
Montilla-Moriles, neighbouring the Jerez region
Which grape accounts for the majority of plantings in Jerez, what sort of base wine does it make?
Palomino
It produces a wine with natural low acid and very little varietal flavour.
Not all sherries qualify for age indicated status, which sherries can qualify?
Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and PX
i.e. only sherries that have been through the oxidative process
