jerez-xérèz-sherry y manzanilla
Sherry 101: All About Sherry
D.O. Jerez-Xérèz-Sherry y Manzanilla
The D.O. of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry y Manzanilla is the home of Spain's most famous wine: sherry. While the
climate here on the southern end of Spain is largely Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean creates a unique
microclimate in Sherry Country. The Denomination is situated near Cadiz bounded by the 3 towns of Jerez
de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Sanlucar de Barameda. This area is on the west-facing
side of a large cape, and the Atlantic Ocean moderates the hot winds blowing down from the central
plateau. This climate, along with the chalk-heavy soils that glaze over in the heat of the summer to trap
in the moisture from the spring, creates perfect conditions for grape vines.
Grapes
Palomino for dry Sherries
Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez for the sweet Sherries.
Flor
Fine Sherry can be dry or sweet. The best dry Sherry is made from the Palomino grape grown on chalky
soil called albariza, which resembles that of Cognac and Champagne. Following fermentation of the
Palomino grapes to complete dryness, the young wine is transferred to used, 500-liter oak butts (barrels).
There, a phenomenon occurs that is unique to Jerez: some butts develop a thick white layer of yeast
called flor (flower), which covers and seals the wine. A wind called the Poniente, which comes from the
west, brings cool moist air from the ocean creating the conditions favorable for the flor to grow. This
prevents the wine beneath from oxidizing or turning into vinegar. Flor cannot be reliably induced or
controlled. Wines that are aged exclusively under this for are known as wines that have undergone a
biological aging. Wines were no such flor is present are known as oxidative wines. There are also wines
that undergo both biological and oxidative aging.
Types of Sherry
Biological Aging
Oxidative Aging
Both Types of Aging
Fino
Manzanilla
Oloroso
Pedro Ximénez
Moscatel
Amontillado
Palo Cortado
Fino
If it seems the flor will remain, the wines of greatest delicacy and finesse are then fortified (by an addition
of brandy) to about 15% alcohol. If as they mature these wines fulfill their promise of elegance, they will
ultimately be classified as ‘Fine.’
Serving Temperature: 45 degrees
Manzanilla
The coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda produces a special ‘Fine’ called Manzanilla. Because of its
unique microclimate the wines aged in Sanlucar are lighter in texture and are distinguished as separate
type of wine.
Serving Temperature: 45 degrees
Since Fino and Manzanilla remain unoxidized, due to the protective layer of Flor, they should be served
cold and need to be consumed as soon after bottling and opening as possible.
Amontillado
While under Flor, some of the more robust Finos may be reclassified for development over time as
Amontillado, a special type of aged Fino that has been allowed to oxidize, taking on characteristic bronze
tones and hazelnut aromas and flavors.
Serving Temperature: 58 degrees
Oloroso
If the flor seems unlikely to remain, or the wines lack the delicacy requisite of Fino, some producers
immediately fortify them to about 18% alcohol, to be classed after aging as Oloroso or the rare Pale
Cortado, and then possibly blended to make Cream Sherry, for which demand remains strong.
Serving Temperature: 58 degrees
Pedro Ximénez & Moscatel
The grapes used for unblended sweet wines are usually Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel, grown on clay
or sandy soils. These dark, raisiny, extraordinarily concentrated wines, made from shriveled grapes dried
on wicker racks following the harvest, can acquire enormous complexity with long cask age-up to 50
years! Cream Sherries, an English invention, are sweet blends, usually of dry Oloroso base wine with
Pedro Ximénez.
Serving Temperature: 48 degrees
Solera
The maturation of Sherry is unique. Sherry was once and occasionally still is aged according to its vintage.
But as trade with England reached its height in the 19th century, shippers made a useful discovery about
these aging wines: by withdrawing just a small portion from each butt for bottling, and replacing it with
an equal portion of younger wine of similar quality and style, they were able to create in 3-4 months a
wine identical to the original. This accounts for Sherry's remarkable consistency.
Each lot of similar wines is called a solera and might be maintained in four or five stages called scales.
Wine for bottling is drawn only from the oldest scale, often also referred to as the solera. Several times
a year, as much as 30%, but more typically 5-10%, of the contents of the oldest scale is bottled. This is
replaced with wine from the next oldest, which itself is then replenished with younger wine, and so on
successively for all of the scales within the solera. This process is called "running the scales"
Some Fino and Manzanilla soleras consist of hundreds of butts in many scales and are bottled as often
as twice a month, to assure freshness. Very old soleras of other styles might consist of only two butts
and may be bottled as seldom as once a year. It is a brilliant, flexible system for maintaining consistently
high quality. It allows the shipper to draw on an infinite number of styles.
Alamacenistas
In the city of Jerez de la Frontera, and the coastal towns of Sanlucar de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa
Maria, the larger shippers are not the only producers of Sherry. For years, a tenacious group of professionals
called almacenistas (stockholders) have maintained their own small cellars, supplying the shippers with
stocks of rare and unusual, uncompromising, completely dry wines for blending purposes. In 1997 the
laws changed allowing for almacenistas with small stocks to bottle wines.
Each year, the major houses offer limited-production selections from several top almacenistas who mature
their wines according to the same high quality standards. These come from small soleras bottled as
seldom as once a year. A label designation such as 1/20 indicates that the bottling is from a solera
consisting of only 20 butts! These are consummate expressions of fine, handcrafted, traditional dry Sherry.
These are Sherry's greatest wines.
VOS/VORS
Very old sherries can receive a special designation indicating an approximate age of the soleras. There
are two designations; one is VOS for wines at least twenty years old and the other is VORS for wines at
least thirty years old. VOS stands for Vinum Optimum Signatum or in English Very Old Sherry and VORS
is Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum and in English Very Old Rare Sherry.
Bodega La Cigarrera:
Bodegas La Cigarrera is located in the heart of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. In 1758, this Almacenista began
operations, and cellar master Ignacio Hidalgo began bottling his own Manzanilla in 1997. Ignacio is a
ninth-generation cellar master, and all wines were previously sold to famous Sherry houses, including
Lustau, for bottling. La Cigarrera refers to the cigarette/tobacco women who sold tobacco on the sidewalks
of Sanlúcar. It is a tribute to the pride, beauty, and history of this town.
The key to the quality of La Cigarrera is the exceptional raw materials and the location of the winery. La
Cigarrera Manzanilla is produced exclusively from vineyards in the Jerez Superior Denomination of Origin.
Only wines aged in Sanlúcar de Barrameda are labeled as D.O. Manzanilla. The unique microclimate of
Sanlúcar de Barrameda creates a very special "flor", or yeast, that grows year around on the wines,
protecting the wine from the atmosphere. Hence, the wine goes through what is termed as a biological
aging with the wine aging and breathing through this layer of yeast. This growth is actually affected by
subtle differences in location within the town. La Cigarrera is located in the ideal center with proximity to
the ocean, giving the wine its distinctive character.
Site
Grapes
Vine Age
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Palomino
10-60 years
Manzanilla:
Soil
Albariza or chalk
Wine Maker’s Notes: La Cigarrera Manzanilla is aged in the solera system for four years
on the lees before being bottled. Made from Palomino and aged 4 years in the solera
system.
Production: 1,200 cases from a solera of 100 butts.
Maestro Sierra:
A winery founded in 1832 by Jose Antonio Sierra who was a master carpenter. As a master carpenter
he was responsible for building barrels for all the major Sherry houses. Recognized as one of the top
coopers in the area he longed to become involved in the Sherry trade itself. In 1832 he set about building
a small winery with the aim of making the best Sherrys possible. As this business was dominated by the
nobility, a start-up such as his was not very welcome. After many hardships he was able to establish and
grow his business becoming one of the top Almacenistas (stockholders) of high quality Sherrys. Pocking
fun at his struggle, the label depicts a fox hunt of that time period with the “Nobles” hunting the fox (Maestro
Sierra).
Pilar Pla Pechovierto currently owns Maestro Sierra. She is assisted by Ana Cabestrero and Juan Clavijo
who is the Capataz (more below on the job description of a Capataz). Doña Pilar is a widow whose
husband was a direct descendent of the family. She respected her husband’s wish that the winery remain
in operation and over the last thirty years she has kept the winery open selling very limited stocks of wine
to a few of the large Sherry houses. Because the wines have virtually remained unmoved due to the
almost non existent business the stocks at Maestro Sierra are some of the oldest in Jerez.
Juan Clavijo has been the Capataz of the winery for over fifty years. The capataz is essentially the cellar
master and in charge of all the wines once they have been transferred in to the casks for ageing and
designation. He is the one who decides which wines will become Finos, which will become Amontillados
etc. He is responsible for tasting all the barrels and deciding when to rack the wines. He has been at
Maestro Sierra all his life and knows the treasure it contains. He does everything by hand according to
the old traditions.
In 2003 Ana Cabestrero was brought on board to oversee the winery. She came to Jerez looking for an
escape from her family’s Ribera del Duero operation. In what many in Spain would consider a questionable
move she left the comfort of her home and moved to Jerez to find a job in viticulture. I had met Ana before
in Ribera del Duero and she was then and is now an independent and fiery person. To move to such a
male dominated area and look for a job in a sector experiencing regressive growth was bordering on
insanity. When she landed at Maestro Sierra she immediately recognized one of the great treasures of
Spain. She has moved quickly to get the wines out into the market and get the recognition they deserve.
The treasures of Maestro Sierra are many. They enjoy a unique location in Jerez. From the back of their
building they have a clear shot of the Atlantic Ocean (El Puerto de Santa Maria). This unique location in
Jerez is one of the keys to their Terruño. This situation allows for the flor at the winery to be present all
year around giving their wines a unique quality. They have been buying their grapes from the same
suppliers for many decades and these growers are known as having the best and oldest parcels within
Jerez Superior.
The other important aspect of the winery is that since the wines have seen little sales the stocks have
remained virtually untouched for the last thirty years. The soleras at the winery are easily over 60 years
old and some maybe close to 100 years old. The larger houses have pillaged their old soleras leaving
them with little old wine Unfortunately the legistation only allows for wines to be labeled as old as 30 years
old (VORS). They also maintain an inhouse cooper to uphold the tradition of their heritage. By anyone’s
standard in Jerez the crown jewel of Sherry is Maestro Sierra.
Site
Grapes
Vine Age
Jerez de la Frontera
Palomino
10-60 years
Soil
Albariza or chalk
Fino:
Wine Maker’s Notes: Our fino is bottled straight off the lees with only a minimal cold
stabilization before bottling. Made from Palomino and aged in the solera system for 4 years.
Production: 1,200 cases from a solera of 102 butts.
Amontillado:
Wine Maker’s Notes: Made from Palomino and aged at least 15 years in the solera system.
Production: 100 cases from a solera of 6 butts.
Oloroso:
Wine Maker’s Notes: Made from Palomino and aged at least 15 years in the solera system.
Production: 400 cases from a solera of 44 butts.
Pedro Ximénez:
Wine Maker’s Notes: Made from Pedro Ximénez and aged at least 15 years in the solera
system.
Production: 400 cases from a solera of 44 butts.
Amontillado 1830 (VORS):
Wine Maker’s Notes: The age of this solera here is very hard to determine as the wines
have been here for as long as one can remember. Made from Palomino and aged at least
50 years in the solera system.
Production: 50 cases from a solera of 2 2000 liter butts.
Oloroso 1/14 (VORS):
Wine Maker’s Notes: The age of this solera here is very hard to determine as the wines
have been here for as long as one can remember. There are 14 butts of this wine. Made
from Palomino and aged at least 50 years in the solera system.
Production: 100 cases from a solera of 14 butts.
Pedro Ximénez Viejisimo:
Wine Maker’s Notes: The age of this solera here is very hard to determine as the wines
have been here for as long as one can remember. There are 14 butts of this wine. Made
from Pedro Ximénez and aged at least 50 years in the solera system.
Production: 100 cases from a solera of 14 butts.
Oloroso 1/7 (VORS):
Wine Maker’s Notes: The age of this solera here is very hard to determine as the wines
have been here for as long as one can remember. There are 7 butts of this wine. Made
from Palomino and aged at least 50 years in the solera system.
Production: 20 cases from a solera of 7 butts.
Gutierrez Colosia:
Gutierrez Colosia is located in the town of El Puerto de Santa Maria. Established in 1838 on the banks
of the Guadalete River, it is today the only winery with this unique location. When we say it’s all about
location in Jerez, this winery says it all. Having had the fortune to establish itself directly on the banks,
the micro-conditions here are nearly perfect for making Jerez wines. The strong breezes from the ocean
create a very active “flor” that stays year around.
Juan Carlos Gutierrez currently runs this fabulous old Bodega. Once an Almacenista, Juan Carlos decided
to start estate bottling in 1997. Previously, the Bodega sold stocks to the major Sherry houses.
Fino Elcano owes its name to Juan Sebastian de Elcano. He was one of the Captains on Magellans trip
to circumnavigate the globe and actually ended up being the only one to complete the trip (Magellan died
on route)making him the first person in history to complete this journey. Their landfall was on the Sherry
Coast near El Puerto de Santa Maria. Juan Carlos’ fino is characterized by its freshness and brightness
owing to its sheltered crianza(ageing) within the bodega walls. The ocean is everywhere is the walls of
this building and creates an especially luxuriant “flor” covering the wines well through the summer heat.
All their fruit is sourced from the best vineyards in Albariza soils in the Jerez Superior vineyards. Aged
4 years on the lees of successively older Soleras.
In addition, Juan Carlos has a fabulous old solera dating back to beginnings of his winery. The butts are
all different size ranging from 500 liter to 1000 liters. Of particular note is the Palo Cortado which is drawn
off the lees only once every three years. This Solera was around when Juan Carlos great grandfather
acquired the winery. Palo Cortado has always been the drink of choice among the bodegueros of Jerez.
Site
Grapes
Vine Age
El Puerto de Santa Maria
Palomino
10-60 years
Soil
Albariza or chalk
Fino Elcano:
Wine Maker’s Notes: Our fino is bottled straight off the lees with only a minimal cold
stabilization before bottling. Made from Palomino and aged in the solera system for 4 years.
Production: 1,800 cases from a solera of 165 butts.
Sangre y Trabajadero Oloroso:
Wine Maker’s Notes: Our oloroso is bottled straight off the lees with only a minimal cold
stabilization before bottling. Made from Palomino and aged in the solera system for 12
years.
Production: 1,600 cases from a solera of 120 butts.
Palo Cortado:
Wine Maker’s Notes: The age of this solera here is very hard to determine as the wines
have been here for as long as one can remember.This sherry has been aged at least 50
years in the solera system.
Production: 500 bottles from a solera of 6 butts.
Moscatel Soleado:
Wine Maker’s Notes: Made from Moscatel that has been dried on the sandy flats near
the ocean for 2 weeks, this sherry has been aged for 3 to 4 years in the solera system.
Production: 600 bottles from a solera of 5 butts.