Sherry (Spain)

Sherry is a fortified wine from the Jerez-Xérès-Sherry region in Andalucia in Southern Spain - one of the most southerly winegrowing regions in Europe (36º North).

The Secrets of Sherry

The Hot and Dry Climate
The Sea Breezes from the Atlantic Ocean
The Palomino Grape
The Albariza Soil
The Biological and Oxidative Aging

In spite of the hot and dry climate, irrigation is not permitted in the DO Jerez Sherry.

Andalucia

Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

Sherry Styles

Sherry can be Dry or Sweet.

Sherry can be aged with or without Flor.

Most types are produced from the local Palomino grape.

Dry Sherrys (Generosos) comes in 3 Main Styles:

(Sugar in grams/litre)

Style	Grape	Floor	Sugar	Alcohol
Fino	Palomino	Yes	0-5	15-18%
Amontillado	Palomino	Hybrid	0-5	18-20%
Oloroso	Palomino	No	0-5	18-22%

Sweet Sherrys (Generosos de Licor) comes in 4 styles:

Style	Grape	Flor	Sugar	Alcohol
Pale Cream	Palomino	Yes	45-115	15-20%
Medium Dry	Palomino	Hybrid	5-45	16-22%
Medium Sweet	Palomino	Hybrid	45-115	16-22%
Cream	Palomino	No	115-140	16-22%

Natural Sweet Sherrys (Dulces Naturales):

Style	Grape	Flor	Sugar	Alcohol
Pedro Ximénez	Pedro Ximénez (PX)	No	212+	15-22%
Moscatel	Moscatel de Alejandria	No	160+	15-22%

Flor

Flor (Spanish for flower) is a film of yeast floating on the surface of wine. It is naturally formed under certain winemaking conditions from local yeasts found in the region of Andalucía.

The flor protects the wine from Oxidation.

The flor is an important factor in the production of Fino Sherry and Pale Cream Sherry.

Transparent barrel demonstrating the development of Flor

Fortification

Sherry is fortified using distilled spirit from La Mancha. The spirit is first mixed with mature sherry to make a 50/50 blend known as mitad y mitad (half and half), and then mixed with younger sherry to proper proportions. This two-stage procedure is done so the strong alcohol will not shock the young sherry and spoil it.

Solera System

A Solera System is a system of old 600 litres oak barrels containing wines of different ages, where wines are blended together as they age. The purpose is to create a mature wine of a consistent and complex style.

Sherry is bottled by extracting a little each year from the Solera (the bottom row of barrels). This creates space in it to be topped from the Criadera above, and above, and above, until there is space in the top Criadera for new wine to be added.

Image Source: WineDecoded.

Sherry Production

Sherry production starts with a dry Palomino wine
The wine is fortified with alcohol to 15% or 17%
The fortified wine is called sobretabla
The fortified wine enters a solera system to age
The number of criaderas (solera levels) is up to 14
The fortified wine ages in solera with or without flor
Wines aged with flor are biologically aged
Wines aged without flor are oxidativly aged

Biologically Aged	Biologically Oxidatively	Oxidatively Aged
⇩	⇩	⇩
Palomino 11.5%	Palomino 11.5%	Palomino 11.5%
⇩	⇩	⇩
Fortified to 15%	Fortified to 15%	Fortified to 17%
⇩	⇩	⇩
Sobretabla	Sobretabla	Sobretabla
⇩	⇩	⇩
Aged under FLOR in Solera	Aged under FLOR in Solera	Aged without FLOR in Solera
⇩	Refortified to 17-20%	⇩
	Aged without FLOR in Solera
⇩	⇩	⇩
FINO SHERRY	AMONTILLADO SHERRY	OLOROSO SHERRY
⇩	⇩	⇩
Sweetened	Sweetened	Sweetened
⇩	⇩	⇩
Pale Cream Sherry	Medium Sherry	Cream Sherry

Dry Sherry Types

Fino
Amontillado
Oloroso

Fino Sherry

Fino is a light biological Sherry.

It is aged under flor in a Solera System of 600 litres American oak barrels for minimum 2 years.

The majority of Finos are aged 4 to 7 years.

Fino Sherry has a pale color, crisp aromas of citrus, almonds and herbs, a slightly salty character and bready notes from the flor.

Fino will not improve from bottle aging, and is made to be consumed young.

Manzanilla Fino

Manzanilla Fino is slightly more delicate type of Fino.

It is produced in the coastal area Sanlúcar de Barrameda under its own DO Manzanilla de Sanlúcar, where cooler and more humid conditions result in a thicker layer of flor and more intense aromas.

Oloroso

Oloroso is a full-bodied oxidative Sherry.

Alcohol is added to 17% to preventing the development of flor and allowing the wine to age exposed to oxygen.

The result is a dark brown and complex wine with oxidative aromas of walnut, leather, spices, caramel and truffle.

Oroloso can be matured for The astringency in very old Oroloso can be balanced by blending the wine with younger wines in the solera system.

Amontillado

Amontillado is a full-bodied Sherry.

Amontillado is unique due to its dual aging process: first under flor like Fino, followed by a period exposed to oxidation, like Oroloso.

The fusion of aging processes makes extraordinarily complex and intriguing. The results in a darker color and a richer, nuttier flavor profile compared to Fino.

Amontillado can be matured for as long as Oroloso.

Palo Cortado

Palo Cortado is an intermediate type of sherry with the aromatic refinement of Amontillado and the structure and body of Oloroso. Compared to an Amontillado, it has spent far less time under flor.

Sweet Sherry

Pale Cream

Pale Cream is produced from biologically aged Sherry Fino (or Manzanilla).

Sugar content is 45-115 grams per litre.

Cream Sherry

Cream Sherry is produced from from oxidatively aged Sherry Oloroso.

Sugar content is 115-140 grams per litre.

Medium Sherry

Medium Cream contains 5-115 grams of sugar per liter. Medium Dry: 5-45 g. Medium Sweet: 45-115 g.

Medium is often composed from Amontillado with a small amount of Oloroso, Moscatel or Pedro Ximénez.

PX (Pedro Ximénez)

Pedro Ximénez is an intensely sweet, dark, dessert sherry.

PX Sherry is made from minimum 85% consentrated sun-dried local (Andalucia) Pedro Ximénez grapes, and is usually very sweet (400g sugar per liter) and have a strong aroma of raisins.

Moscatel is a naturally sweet wine, produced the same way as Pedro Ximénez with at least 85% Moscatel de Alejandria / Moscatel de grano menudo grapes. Late harvested, overripe grapes are dried in the sun for up to three weeks in a process called asoleo.