or: why we’re obsessed with Sherry and why you should be, too

If there’s one thing you should have learned by now from going de tapeo in Spanish restaurants across London is this- sherry: it’s kind of a big deal. 

It’s actually the unsung hero of the whole tapas experience. Think about it. 

Everyone always waxes lyrical about the food. And rightly so. 

But is there a more perfect wine to pair with the meatiness and tanginess of a Gordal olive? With a chalky Marcona almond? How about those sweet, sweet slivers of jamón ibérico? 

I first fell head-over-heels for sherry when I realised the insane complexity it has to offer. 

It’s got possibly one of the most intricate classification systems in the entire wine world. 

And that’s exactly what got me hooked. 

It’s both a mystery and a challenge learning about it, and you feel like you’re never quite done discovering more. 

This also means- there’s a perfect bottle out there for every single dish you could imagine. So it really feels as though the possibilities are endless. 

Here’s an attempt to paint a simpler picture of the whole panorama, as well as a few recs for some cracking bottles. 

Complexity

Let’s dig into what makes sherry such a fascinating and diverse wine. 

Starting with its classification.

Generosos, dulces naturales & generosos de licor

There are 3 broad categories of sherry: 

dry (generosos), sweet (dulces naturales) and blended (generosos de licor). 

• • • ‘Generoso’ sherries are those made from Palomino grapes, and are considered dry wines.

These are then sub-divided into three categories: non-oxidised, partially oxidised and oxidised. 

These subcategories are dependent on whether or not the wine has aged under flor. 

If there is one word you need to rescue from this entire post, make it this: FLOR. 

Flor is intrinsically linked with the art of making Sherry.

It’s basically what gives sherry its unique character and complexity. 

It’s a layer of yeast that grows on the wine’s surface, inside the barrel, as it ages. 

Normally, wine is protected from bacteria and fungi (such as yeast) by being stored in air-sealed drums. 

However, in the case of sherry, this fungus is deliberately allowed to develop by leaving some air inside the cask. 

– Non-oxidised: 

 These are wines fully aged under the veil of flor. 

 There are two types: Manzanilla and Fino. 

– Partially oxidised:

These wines begin their fermentation process as the ones above, but their flor wanes after a certain period of time, leaving them open to oxidisation. 

There are also two types here: Amontillado and Palo Cortado. 

– Oxidised:

 For this type of sherry, the flor is never allowed to develop, leaving them exposed to oxidisation for the entire duration of their aging process. 

 There exists only one type of fully oxidised sherry: Oloroso.

• • • ‘Dulce natural’ sherries are wines that are naturally sweet due to their harvesting methods. 

These can be from two grape varieties: Moscatel or Pedro Ximénez. 

The grapes are harvested late (to promote noble rot), are sun dried (giving them raisin-like qualities), and are only partially fermented (to conserve most of their natural sugar contents). 

These three methods ensure that the grapes retain most of their natural sweetness throughout the vinification, resulting in rich and syrupy wines. 

• • • ‘Generosos de licor’ are essentially ‘generoso’ (dry) sherries blended with the naturally sweet wines mentioned above. 

These are basically your granny’s favourite tipple, and are the culprits for the pretty bad rep sherry’s been getting through the years: Pale Cream, Medium, and Cream. 

For the sake of conciseness, and since these are the wines that are highest in quality and complexity, we will focus primarily on the dry styles of sherry.

Deliciousness 

The second reason we’re obsessed with Sherry is- pretty self explanatory- they are utterly delicious wines!

Here, we’ll cover the main styles with a quick paragraph or two about what they actually taste like. Let’s get into it. 

Manzanilla

‘Manzanilla’ is Spanish for chamomile- so, yup! Nice work, Sherlock. 

Expect this to be one of its main tasting notes. 

Together with fino, it is the driest style of sherry. 

They are actually produced in exactly the same way. 

What makes the difference is its origin- manzanilla must exclusively come from the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. 

They’re aged for at least two years, although most range from 3 to 7 years old. 

They’re pale straw in colour, and have a very delicate bouquet of fresh floral notes, almonds and dough. 

Sanlúcar’s proximity to the sea and its microclimate also lend more saline notes to these wines- seaspray, iodine and olive brine are very common. 

Fino 

This is perhaps the poster boy of all sherries. 

Like its sister above, Fino is made from Palomino grapes, only this time grown in the DO of Jerez/Xérès/Sherry: the area adjacent to the town of Jerez de la Frontera. 

And like manzanilla, it is also produced in a solera system. 

The solera is almost synonymous with sherry. 

It’s a method of blending different vintages of wine, resulting in yet another dimension of complexity. 

The vintages are arranged by tiers called criaderas, and a solera system usually has anything from 3 to 7 criaderas. 

Finos have a bone dry palate, are mineral and slightly oily (think anchovy-stuffed olives), and present the characteristic nuttiness that defines most dry sherries. 

Amontillado

Ok, so this is where things start to get really funky. 

Amontillado begins life as a fino or a manzanilla. 

But at some point in the aging process, typically between the second and eighth years- tragedy. The flor either dies (of natural causes) or even worse- is killed off by the addition of alcohol. As if we needed yet another reminder that alcohol does indeed kill. 

This also serves to highlight another one of sherry’s key characteristics: its fortification. 

It was originally fortified for exporting purposes. 

The added alcohol helped fend off any unwanted spoilage through the long sea journeys. 

It then developed into a whole style of its own, while it also helps to produce more stable and predictable wines. 

So it could be argued that amontillado is perhaps the most interesting type of dry sherry, as it literally is ‘the best of both worlds’. 

These wines can range from the more dry, fino-like qualities lent by their fermentation under flor; to much more refined and matured notes. 

As its darker colour suggests, notes of oak, tobacco and darker nuts (as opposed to the chalky whiteness of almonds) such as hazelnuts, Brazils or walnuts are very common with amontillados. 

Palo Cortado 

With this one, the plot thickens even further, my dear Watson. 

Palo Cortado has always been covered by a veil (of flor, of course), but most importantly- mystery. 

It’s said to have been a fluke. A wine that started out as a fino, but then the flor just vanished. 

Unlike the amontillado, in which the flor is expected to die (or be killed), in a palo cortado this death is accidental. 

So in terms of bouquet and taste- it’s the apex of complexity. These are rare wines. And the fact that they are surrounded by myth and paganism makes them even more fascinating. 

They are basically ‘light olorosos’, in that they spend very little time under flor (much less than amontillados), thus developing more characteristics of the oxidised wines. 

So they possess some of the notes of amontillados (citrus, orange zest, tobacco) while also presenting characteristics typical of olorosos- dried fruits, berries- while also incorporating a more lactic note reminiscent of butter. 

Oloroso

Oloroso is the first (and only) style of dry sherry to fully develop without a flor. 

 They are selected at an initial tasting from musts that naturally show a more robust structure than those used for fino. 

Following this, they undergo a fortification to about 17% alcohol to stop any chance of a flor developing. 

These wines present deep amber and mahogany hues. 

The nose is very rich, as is to be expected from a wine named oloroso– literally ‘fragrant’ or ‘scented’ in Spanish. 

Aromas of roasted nuts, polished wood and autumn leaves. Truffles, golden tobacco and leather are also common. 

The palate is full-flavored and structured. It’s also smooth and well-rounded thanks to its higher glycerine content. 

Recommendations

I guess there’s got to be a bit here in which we put all of this ‘theory’ into practice, put our money where our mouth is, and give you a few recs for you to try.

I have a love/ hate relationship with these types of lists. 

I do like the ‘curiosity factor’ however, selecting a ‘top 10’ of sherries is like arguing about the greatest songs ever written- it could go on forever. 

Luckily for you, there’s some real beauties in here, so pop one open and argue away! 

After all, there’s only one way for you to find out whether you agree or not…

We wanted to do our best to give you a cross-section of all the different styles, as well as the bodegas that are bottling the really good juice. 

Bear in mind- this is but an introduction. It’s only meant to let you dip your toes into the wonderful waters of sherry. 

We also selected one of each type that you can easily just pick up from a London shop right now, and a few slightly more special or different ones that you can order online.

Happy tasting and as always- keep it fresh! 

MB @ London Got Juice. 

Manzanilla:

• • • Nave Trinidad en rama (Barbadillo)– Decantalo

This is arguably the best introduction to the world of sherry for all you noobs out there. 

From one of the true classic sherry houses, Barbadillo in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, comes a (purposely) uncomplicated, young, fresh wine that is extremely easy to drink. 

‘En rama’ meaning unfiltered, it’s got 3,5 years under flor. 

Slightly above average intensity on the nose, while remaining very accessible. 

The palate is subtle- hints of green apple, almonds, and a touch of grassy bitterness. Very clean finish. 

• • • Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana (Hidalgo La Gitana)– Waitrose

This Manzanilla is aged for a little bit longer than usual in American oak casks- hence the ‘pasada’ (‘passed’, ‘beyond’) denomination. 

Expect the classic notes- olive brine, white flowers, yeast, bright citrus and almonds- only with the intensity and richness dialed up a couple of notches thanks to the extra aging time. 

Fino:

• • • Tío Pepe Fino en rama 2023 (González-Byass)– Lea & Sandeman.

We absolutely love this kind of stuff. A true classic ‘with a twist’. 

Tío Pepe is the most recognisable sherry brand on Earth. 

In 2009, they started to release a yearly ‘en rama’ (unfiltered) version of their mythical fino, which comes out in the spring. It’s supposed to be Tío Pepe’s ‘essence’- its purest and wildest expression.

The 2023 is slightly sharper than its previous iterations, but still retains the very familiar notes of hay bale, almonds and herbs. 

On the palate- citrus, nuts and the flor at the peak of its freshness.  

• • • La Ina (Lustau)– Whisky Exchange

While Tío Pepe is the most recognised sherry in the world, 

Fino La Ina might just be the most popular fino in Spain. 

From Bodegas Lustau, another giant in the industry. 

A real ‘by the books’-type of fino: dough, green apples and barn smells (hay, wet fur) on the nose; with a well-balanced, nutty palate of citrus fruits and yeast. 

Amontillado

• • • Amontillado (Bodegas Tradición)– Fortnum & Mason

A real Christmas treat this one. 

F&M’s own label Amontillado comes from one of the best boutique sherry bodegas in Jerez (we wouldn’t expect any less). 

Deep amber/ pale mahogany colour. 

Intense nose of roasted nuts, cigar box and candied citrus. 

The palate is fresh yet deep and nuanced with plenty of vanilla and leather. 

• • • Tío Diego (Valdespino)– Decántalo

One of the most established amontillados on the market, and the favourite amongst the Jerezanos.

This is where that ‘best of both worlds’ character starts to show, walking the line between a fino and a palo cortado.

Deep, complex nose in which the classic fresh dough notes turn more towards baked bread or pastry. Underlaid with a hint of polished wood. 

The palate is properly dry, and shows notes of tea, warm sand and roasted nuts. 

(Ever tried warm sand before? No? You should. You’d. YOU would love it.)

Palo Cortado: 

• • • Dos Cortados 20y (Williams & Humbert)– Waitrose 

This one starts to show signs of an oloroso. 

And confirms why we’re so obsessed with sherry! It’s all in the subtleties. The details. 

It starts with an intense orange colour- almost fluorescent. 

The intensity continues on the nose, with warm notes of caramel and vanilla. 

Oaky and slightly smoky undertones hint towards the amontillado side. 

On the palate, it shows its oloroso character: roasted pecans and salted caramel combined with a zesty freshness and great acidity. 

• • • La Bota de Palo Cortado 47 (Equipo Navazos)– Decántalo

OK, here’s exactly where things start to get really funky. 

This one’s a bit of a departure in that it’s not your traditional palo cortado. 

But it’s such a unique wine that I had to include it on this list just to show that incredible range and versatility we mentioned at the beginning, which makes sherry so much fun to discover. 

This is a very rare palo cortado that is estimated at over 50 years old. 

Super complex on the nose with dried fruits such as figs and dates leading the way. Exotic polished woods and hints of gunpowder and tar. 

The palate is extremely concentrated and razor-sharp. Salty, briney, marine flavours. Oyster juice. Lots of roasted notes like walnuts, tobacco, nutmeg and even coffee or dark chocolate. The whole is underlaid with very high acidic and savoury undertones.

Oloroso:

• • • Antique Oloroso (Fernando de Castilla)– Hedonism Wines

A relatively new bodega, Fernando de Castilla was founded in the 1960s, and rapidly became one of the most exceptional independent wine houses in Jerez. 

This oloroso is around 20 years old, so manages to blend the well-aged profile with a youthful, vibrant and refreshing character. Great balance. Polished. Beautifully crafted. 

It’s bottled without blending, filtration or stabilisation to retain the purity of its character at its highest expression. 

Notes of exotic spice, rich woods, roasted nuts and a hint of sweetness on the nose. 

On the palate, it’s dry yet velvety and full-bodied. Earthy. Hints of tobacco, candied fruit and leather with a buttery finish. 

• • • Oloroso Encontrado (Sanchez Romate)– Waitrose

Get yourself to your nearest Waitrose NOW! 

In fact- it may already be too late, so you might have to go on to the Waitrose Cellar website. 

This is a dream opportunity to get your hands on a very special wine indeed- for a great price. 

Legend has it, this oloroso had somehow slipped the net of the solera system, and only 5 butts of it were ‘found’ hiding in a corner of the bodega somewhere. 

It’s very expressive and fragrant on the nose. Extremely complex, with a lot going on. Very elegant, as only an aged oloroso can be. Beeswax, notes of oil paintings combined with polished woods, toasted nuts and sweet spices. It tricks you into thinking it’s a sweet wine…

Until the palate breaks that illusion- dry, sharp and crisp with saline and peppery notes. Salted caramel, hazelnut, tobacco and herbs supported by a high acidity and a very lingering finish.