A couple of weeks ago I was in Jerez, sweltering in 35C heat, which, even for the south of Spain, is unusual at the start of October. So we were still in full summer mode, sitting out in plazas and quaffing chilled manzanilla. Right place, right drink.
I’m not sure that works so well in a British autumn, but that doesn’t mean you can’t and shouldn’t drink sherry in the colder months (or that it has to be a sickly cream sherry, either). Just as with other drinks, there are styles of sherry that work brilliantly at this time of year.
First on my list would be the deliciously dry, Spanish-style amontillado, as opposed to the traditional, medium-dry style that my parents used to keep in a decanter in the sideboard, a practice that would be frowned upon these days, when most sherries are served chilled.
Amontillados are sherries that start life under a layer of yeast called flor, and are then aged without it, which results in a deeper colour and a nuttier flavour. Some can be 20 or 30 years old, and are classified as VOS (vinum optimum signatum) and VORS (vinum optimum rare signatum), respectively. I love that those categories are in Latin, though they’re more commonly referred to as “Very old sherry” or “Very old rare sherry”.
Palo cortado, meanwhile, is a more unusual style in which the flor breaks up in the early stages of ageing. It’s a bit like an amontillado, but it has a deliciously creamy edge, almost like salted caramel. And the example from Morrisons in my picks below is one of the best sherry bargains on the market.
Oloroso, which ages oxidatively – in other words, without a protective layer of yeast – is darker and nuttier, still; more like grilled hazelnuts than the roast almonds of an amontillado. The Spanish often pair it with more substantial tapas or raciones such as beef stew, or drink it with game.
Of the sweeter sherries, I actually prefer cream sherry to the ultra-sweet, raisiny pedro ximénez. That’s a controversial view, I know, because PX has its ardent devotees, but, at about 400g residual sugar per litre, it’s about three times as sweet as a cream. (It’s good over ice-cream, though.)
And do bear in mind that these richer styles of sherry tend to be higher in alcohol than finos and manzanillas, and especially so if you’re serving them in bigger wine glasses, which seems to be the norm in Jerez these days. The traditional serving, however, is 75ml, so you get 10 glasses out of a full-size bottle. In my book, the idea of a modest sherry before Sunday lunch is maybe not such a bad one.
Five top sherries for the colder months
Morrisons The Best Palo Cortado £7.25 (37.5cl), 19%. Gloriously nutty, and made by Lustau, one of the best sherry producers around. Just incredible value.
Romate Don José Oloroso £9.95 The Wine Society, 17.5%. Rich, nutty, sweeter than dry, but not really sweet. Brilliant value for a full-size bottle. Try it with gouda.
Valdespino Tio Diego Amontillado £23.95 Lea & Sandeman, 17.5%. Spectacular, 15-year-old dry amontillado. Sip with roast almonds and ham.
Gonzalez Byass Solera Cream Sherry £17.99 Majestic (or £14.99 on mix six), 18%. Christmas in a glass. Start early, because the mince pies are already in the shops.
Lustau Oloroso Almacenista Pata de Gallina £22.99 (50cl) Waitrose Cellar, 20%. Deeply flavoured, bone-dry oloroso that’s, improbably, brilliant with braised oxtail or ox cheek, or a creamy blue cheese.
• For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com
