Styles of Sherry

Styles of Sherry

FINO & MANZANILLA: These are the lightest styles of Sherry. These age under a layer of flor and when bottled are meant to be consumed right away. Each bottle will include a bottling date, the wine will be at its best within three months of bottling and, once opened, it should be treated as a normal still white wine and kept chilled then consumed within a few days, as they oxidise quickly. They are delicious chilled to 6-8°C with olives, salted or smoked almonds, and cured meats. With oysters, Fino and Manzanilla Sherry vie with Champagne as the greatest pairing on earth. Manzanilla is simply a fino style sherry produced in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

AMONTILLADO: When a Fino’s layer of flor fades or the wine is intentionally fortified to a higher strength that limits the growth of a flor, it begins to oxidize and change character. This is an Amontillado Sherry or, simply put, an aged Fino. These wines have some of the salty bite of a Fino but with a darker colour and a nuttier, richer finish on the palate. Amontillado Sherry is also a versatile food wine, try with grilled prawns, rich seafood soups and stews, roast chicken, or a cheese plate.

PALO CORTADO: This is a less common style of Sherry that occurs in certain circumstances when flor yeast dies unexpectedly, and the wine begins to oxidise. A Palo Cortado has some salty character, but its body is richer and more intense. Palo Cortado can behave like an Amontillado on the palate but often shows a great balance of richness and delicacy.

OLOROSO: Oloroso is fortified to a higher alcohol with prevents a flor from developing. Instead, all the flavour in these wines comes from the interaction of wine and air. Usually oxidized wine is considered faulty, but when left for five to twenty-five years, the wine in a Sherry solera will develop into a full-bodied, dark and expressive wine. Oloroso should be served at 12-14°C, and can be served as an aperitif with nuts, olives or figs, with game and red meats. It is aromatic and spicy and can also be drunk like a finely aged bourbon.

PEDRO XIMENES(PX): Produced using dried PX grapes before being fortified then aged in barrels without flor which doesn’t like the sugary environment. The intense, silky smooth and long-lasting PX’s deep colour, unmistakable flavour and natural sweetness is pure opulence. An exceptional match with any dark chocolate dessert, ice-cream or intense blue cheese, this wine is a huge favourite, hence its prestige.  Its dark ebony colour and aromas of honey, candied fruit, figs and raisins are what make it so amazingly rich. On the palate, it extolls sweetness with a final sparkle of acidity, so delightfully attractive. The intensity of sunshine of Jerez on a noble grape is truly embodied in this monumental wine.

MOSCATEL: Produced from Moscatel (Muscat) grapes and fortified with high residual sugar, this sweet sherry is rapidly declining as a style. Most Moscatel grapes are now only grown around the town of Chipiona, on the coast to the west of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.  

CREAM/PALE CREAM/SWEET/BRISTOL CREAM: These are all produced by blending other styles of sherry with PX sherry or with the sweet and pale Moscatel sherry. Originally produced for the UK market (Bristol was the port that received sherries from Spain), they are declining in popularity.

EN RAMA: The production of flor aged Finos and Manzanillas typically involves heavy fining and filtration before bottling in order to remove the bits of flor and other sediment that have developed during the wine’s production. However, this process unfortunately often strips the wine of its colour as well as its flavours and aromas. This process sacrifices some of the sherry’s natural richness and complexity for the sake of a more stable commercial product. Bottled with minimal filtration and released seasonally, En Rama sherry offers a much closer version of what the wine would taste like in its natural state in the cask. Minimal filtering retains all its aromatic power, intense flavours and fullness on the palate. En Rama is the most natural expression of raw sherry, it has powerful acidity and intense saltiness with bright green apple and lemon flavours. Due to minimal filtration, it can be unstable so will probably not keep for long after opening. It should also be opened soon after bottling.