Presenter: Ken Carlisle	October 2012
Wines	Region	Country	Source	Cost	Comments	Type
1. Bodegas Emilio Hildalgo, Pastrana Manzanilla Pasada	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£9.95	15% Strong, spicy, chemical nose. Nutty with browning apples. Light & simple flavours with dusty nut shell.	Fortified
2. Bodegas Emilio Lustau, La Ina Fino	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£7.99	15% Stronger salty nose with a touch of perfume. A rich mouthfeel with robust intensity and a nutty, oxidised finish.	Fortified
3. Gonzalez Byass, Fino Uno Palma	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£12.50	15.5% (Unfiltered 6yo) Rich and golden in colour with a waxy, pineapple nose, complex and elegant with subtle flavours including bitter orange.	Fortified
4. Bodegas Sánchez Romate, Maribel Amontillado	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£7.75	19% Caramel colour with butterscotch and hazelnut aromas. Good weight with figs and a lifted finish.	Fortified
5. Lustau, Botaina Amontillado	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£11.25	18.5% A light nose with a dry, fresh palate, some roasted flavours and a slightly bitter undertone.	Fortified
6. (Sánchez Romate), Wine Society Exhibition Viejo Oloroso Dulce	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£10.75	20% Very dark in colour there was a burnt sweetness to it, dark treacle toffee, but a little unbalanced for the alcohol. NB. Oloroso Dulce is now a prohibited term for a sweetened Oloroso (Jerez Dulce).	Fortified
7. Osborne, Sibarita 30 year old Oloroso	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£24.50	20% A zingy wine with dry minerality, lively but also bitter with a dessicating dryness, complex yet confusing.	Fortified
8. Osborne, Capuchino 30 year old Palo Cortado	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£25.00	20% A meaty Sherry with a Hazelnut finish. Very dry, tangy citrus and coffee with good texture and balance.	Fortified
9. Osborne, Venerable 30 year old Pedro Ximénez	Andalucia	Spain	The Wine Society	£24.50	17% Orange-Citrus nose with raisins. Thick with a dark Muscovado sugar aspect, treacle-like sweetness, maybe too much, but complemented salty salami to a treat.	Fortified
17/10/2012	Raffle wine: Noster 2007 Nobilis Priorat Won by: George Murphy

Sherry (Jerez, or Xerez) is a fortified wine produced in a triangle of land between the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María in Andalucia (Andalusia), southwest Spain.
The two predominant types of Sherry are Fino (very dry with a light body) and Oloroso (dry, yet rich in body and flavour).

Grapes are harvested and fermented but while the wines remain in their casks they are allowed contact with air for a prolonged period of time, aging in one of two ways, oxidatively or biologically. Some (Olorosos) will simply oxidise over time, while some (Finos) develop a thick layer of yeast - flor - which forms a coating on the surface, keeping the wine from over oxidizing and imparting a distinctive flavour. Some sherries start off aging biologically under flor and are then deliberately changed to oxidative ageing by further fortification. These wines are generally called Amontillados.

The wines typically pass through a Solera system, a technique that employs "fractional blending". A tier of barrels containing wine of differing ages, the row containing the oldest, mature wine is called solera (located on the ground), the youngest at the top. A small quantity (less than a third) is extracted from the Solera row and bottled. Each barrel is then topped up with wine taken from the row immediately above, the process continuing until the top row is filled with new wine.
The young wine progressively takes on the characteristics of the older wine until, after a few months, the blend is integrated and ready to repeat the process. This maintains a steady stream of wine of similar character year after year, and explains why sherry is almost never vintage dated.

Sherry Storing and Serving:
All Sherry should be stored upright in a cool, dark place.
Finos and Manzanillas are not long lived, intended for early drinking within a year of bottling. Once they have been opened store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Serve chilled.
Amontillados can keep for 2-3 years in a sealed bottle and again once opened should be consumed within a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Serve cool.
Olorosos, Sweet, Cream and Pedro Ximénez Sherries can all be stored for many years as they have more age and weight on them. Once opened they can be kept without chilling for several weeks. Serve at room temperature.