by Peter Gibson
The wine writer Karen
MacNeil once described Sherry as a “rite of
passage” for the fine wine lover. With the prevailing
taste in wine today leaning heavily in favor of simple,
fruity, immediately gratifying wines, it’s no
wonder that Sherry, which emphasizes palate complexity
and length of finish over primary fruit forwardness,
has fallen out of favor. This is very unfortunate
because fine Sherry – really fine Sherry, not
the stuff produced in industrial quantities and tippled
by our Aunt Hazel and Uncle Bert – is truly
one of the great wonders of the wine world.
Some call Sherry “the
Champagne of fortified wines” because it grows
on similarly chalky soils and possesses similarly
penetrating acidity that must be tamed by years of
maturation or, for those less patient, the addition
of a sweetening wine. I believe Sherry is like fine
single-malt Scotch whisky in that it is a beverage
that is rarely understood or appreciated on first
exposure. Acquiring the taste for Sherry involves
ignoring preconceived notions, opening one’s
mind, and having an enthusiastic interest to embrace
this elusive, noble and historically important wine.
For those of us who
have learned to enjoy Sherry’s charms –
who have experienced this “rite of passage”
– there’s no better value in fine wine
today. In addition, few wines that can compete with
Sherry’s range of styles and the amazing degree
of complexity found in even the most affordable bottlings.
Last but not least, a bottle of Sherry does not need
to be finished before the end of an evening. Sherry
will remain fresh in a cool environment from three
days to three weeks, depending on the style. This
is especially useful for one-wine-drinker households
and makes Sherry one of the most affordable and versatile
of all the world’s fine wines.
Dry Sherrys
The finest dry Sherrys are made
from Palomino Fino grapes. The wines are produced
in the normal white wine fashion before being, in
most cases, modestly fortified with grape-neutral
spirits to bring them to a desired degree of strength.
After fortification, the wine is placed in a pyramid-shaped
network of old casks called a solera. In
the solera system, the youngest wine is introduced
at the top of the pyramid, and the oldest wine is
drawn from the bottom.
In most barrels a unique layer
of yeast (called flor) forms. This flor,
which translates to “flower,” provides
a protective layer against oxidation and must be nourished
by the periodic addition of fresh wine to the cask.
Over the years, usually between four and eight, the
cask is no longer topped with young wine to nourish
the flor, and eventually the flor
falls into the wine. The wine then begins to oxidize
slowly, gaining color and richness. Sometimes the
flor fails to form at all, and these casks
must be fortified to full strength immediately –
usually eighteen to twenty degrees – so that
they won’t oxidize quickly and deleteriously.
If the flor forms and
the wine bottled before the flor falls and
the wine oxidizes, the wine is called a Fino
in Jerez, Puerto de Santa María or Montilla-Moriles.
The same wine is called Manzanilla
if it’s produced exclusively in the village
of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. If the wine is allowed
to mature past the point when the flor can
be nourished or the flor is intentionally
allowed to perish, the wine begins to oxidize and
gains an amber or topaz color. This resulting wine
is called Amontillado.
If the flor does not develop,
the wine begins to oxidize immediately and turns into
what’s called an Oloroso. In
the middle, there’s a delicious anomaly called
Palo Cortado, which refers to a rare
class of wine that develops a weak flor that
falls sooner than a true Amontillado but later than
an Oloroso. The resulting wine is many a Sherry lover’s
favorite, combining the nutty bouquet and dry incisiveness
of an Amontillado with the palate richness of a fine
Oloroso. Palo Cortados produced in Sanlúcar
de Barrameda are called, ironically, Jerez
Cortados.
Today many Amontillados, Palo Cortados
and Olorosos are sweetened to make them more approachable
to the uninitiated. When they are sweetened further,
they begin to form their own styles of Cream
and Brown Sherrys, usually rich Olorosos
sweetened with a healthy dollop of sticky Pedro Ximénez.
Turning the Corner
When I teach my Introduction to
Wine seminar, I present a world-class Sherry as part
of the final, dessert wine flight. My students, many
of whom during the class have appreciated for the
first time the great and often misunderstood wines
made from Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Gewürztraminer,
have almost uniformly disliked the Sherry. That was
until just recently.
In my last seminar, I presented
the Jerez Cortado from Hidalgo, and the class loved
it. I was shocked and ultimately gratified. I began
to think that we, as wine-loving Americans, have finally
turned the corner and are beginning to appreciate
the distinctive qualities that only Sherry can offer.
I’ve heard that Manzanilla is the new “hip”
wine in London. Perhaps America is next. For Sherry
enthusiasts and advocates, is there light at the end
of this tunnel? I certainly hope so.
* * *
There’s no way
the full range of Sherry styles can be properly represented
by three wines. Since it’s summer as I write
this, I’ve decided to concentrate on dry Sherrys
that I believe work best during the warmer months.
All three of these wines are superb representations
of their styles and offer unparalleled value given
their age, complexity and breed.
Your friends at L&E have all experienced
the “rite of passage” and are full-fledged
Sherry enthusiasts. Allow them to guide you and to
turn you on. If and when the proverbial light goes
on for you and you also make the “passage,”
I have no doubt that you will be a Sherry lover for
life.
Bodegas
Hidalgo Manzanilla “La Gitana,” Sanlúcar
de Barrameda 500ml. 9.50 / 101.50
**
La Gitana, “the Gypsy girl,” is my favorite
Sherry, bar none. There’s no other wine in the
world as beguiling and as versatile at such a paltry
tariff. The flor for La Gitana, nurtured
and sustained by the cool, humid seaside air in Sanlúcar,
keeps the wine pale, fresh and bracing during its
long maturation. This coastal air also imparts a salty
tang to the wine that gives Manzanilla its distinctive
flavor and differentiates it from a similarly made
Fino. For this reason, many insist that Manzanilla
is the noblest and most terroir-driven of all Sherrys.
The La Gitana, the world’s
reference point for Manzanillas, opens with aromas
of sea breeze, pistachio nuts and white currants.
These appetizing aromas segue to a crisp, crunchy,
briny palate that hides latent richness behind a veil
of delicacy. It’s the finish, though, where
the Gitana really sings. Here the wine’s nutty,
almond-like complexity mingles with hints of pine
resin, white mushrooms and salty green olives. The
finish lasts for over a minute – that is if
you can hold off on taking another bite of marcona
almonds, pistachios, green olives, grilled octopus
or prawns marinated in Spanish olive oil, garlic and
smoky-sweet paprika. Those unfamiliar with La Gitana
are in for a special experience, but please be sure
to have a clean palate for your first sip, wait for
the finish and then take another sip before passing
judgment. Then try it with food. I believe you’ll
find it amazingly appetizing and especially versatile.
Also, beware the imitators! There
are other Manzanillas on the market with similar labels
and packaging masquerading as Gitana wanna-be’s.
They don’t even come close. Finally, freshness
is paramount with Manzanillas. Be sure to look on
the back label for lot number L-51603 from April 2005
to ensure that your bottle is as fresh as can be.
Alvear
Amontillado Carlos VII, Montilla 500
ml. 19.99 / 213.50 **
The esteemed Alvear estate is based inland in the
region of Montilla-Moriles near Cordoba. The name
Montilla is root of the word Amontillado. Unlike the
two Hidalgo wines, this is made 100% from the Pédro
Ximénez varietal, a grape that can reach fifteen
to sixteen degrees potential alcohol naturally in
this dry, sun-baked region. The color of the Carlos
VII is, for an Amontillado, an unusually deep and
dark amber. It is also a harbinger for the nose of
rich, honeyed ripe figs, glazed walnuts and vanilla
that fills the room upon being poured.
The palate is amazingly rich and
honeyed, with glycerin-like viscosity giving an impression
of sweetness when the wine is actually bone dry. Sappy
flavors of dried apricots, caramel, pine resin and
smoke play on the palate, while the viscous richness
simultaneously coats the tongue. The wine finishes
long, amazingly complex, hauntingly dry and resinous.
The Carlos VII needs time to stretch
out before it fully resolves, so your last taste is
likely to be more complex, complete and appetizing
than your first. Serve with lentils, bean dishes,
soups, hard and semi-hard cheeses or as a complex
and satisfying way to complete a special meal.
Vinicola
Hidalgo Jerez Cortado, Sanlúcar de Barrameda
750 ml. 31.99 / n.c. very limited **
This is the wine that spun heads during my most recent
wine seminar. Jerez Cortado is, ironically, a version
of Palo Cortado made from wines exclusively from Sanlúcar
de Barrameda. The Jerez Cortado’s rich amber-gold
color is followed by aromas of butterscotch, vanilla,
iodine, crème brûlée and walnuts.
The palate is initially rich and creamy like a great
Oloroso, and then becomes dry and incisive like a
great Amontillado. And as with all Sherrys, it’s
the finish that matters, and here the Jerez Cortado
is endlessly rich and resinous, offering a kaleidoscope
of flavors from toffee to vanilla to smoke, walnuts,
pine resin, olives and a final lashing of Sanlúcar’s
salty sea air. The finish lasts for minutes.
Based on wines over twenty years
of age and from a solera established in 1791,
this is a perfect example of very old, dry Sherry.
As with the Amontillado above, this will be perfect
with soups, lentils, walnuts, almonds and aged cheeses.
This is my candidate for the world’s most complex
and fascinating under-$30 bottle of wine.
* * *
Peter Gibson
has spent twenty years as an avid wine taster and
enthusiast, during which he has written, taught and
consulted about wine, traveled extensively to European
and American wine regions, and devoted time to winemaking
at Domaine Drouhin Oregon and at home in Portland,
Oregon.
©2006 by Peter
Gibson/Gibson Consulting. Any portion may be used
provided the author is credited.
** Please contact
L&E for current pricing and availability.
