Oloroso
Oloroso Sherries, made from Palomino grapes, are by default dry, amber- to mahogany-coloured with pronounced nutty fragrance and flavours, full, vinous body and persistent finish. The alcohol content varies between 17º and 22º.
The sweet version is sweetened before bottling with luscious, sticky, treacle-thick wine made from Pedro-Ximenez grapes. Sweet Olorosos are really hedonistic, combining aromas and flavours of molasses, figs, prunes and melted toffee overlaid by sweet spices (cinnamon, cloves, liquorice) .
Olorosos are not allowed to grow the flor yeast during the maturation, so they lack the fresh yeasty/salty taste of the Fino and Amontillado sherries. Without the layer of flor, Olorosos undergo a more intense oxidative exposure that imparts the characteristic nutty flavours. Precisely because their long oxidative ageing, they are among the longest-lived wine styles. Sweet Olorosos are perfect companion to caramel and dried fruit desserts, cakes and blue cheeses.
Cream sherry, Amoroso, and Brown sherry are different styles (in terms of sugar content) of PX-sweetened Oloroso.
Prices:
Bottle
£11.75
Bottle 12 x 75cl 60cs
Aged for 12 years in the bodegas of Jerez, this is rusty gold in colour. Full-bodied, it has great intensity on the nose due to the long ageing. This wine combines softness and great complexity, giving enormous length on the palate. Rich stews and red meats would be a very good food pairing for this wine. It is also an excellent digestif.
Bottle
£16.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl 3cs
Dark in colour with aromas of dried fruits, this is a rich and concentrated wine. An Oloroso (the word means “fragrant” in Spanish) from the oldest solera, this would be equally at home with game or the cheese board. .
H/Litre
£19.95
H/Litre 6 x 50cl 2cs
Our Dry Oloroso has a nose suggestive of something sweet, with its notes of walnuts and dried fruit, so the lack of sweetness on the palate is initially something of a shock. As the layers of flavour unfold in your mouth, this is clearly a very different wine from a more commercial, sweetened cream Sherry. In addition to the nuts and raisined-depth, there is a haunting toffee-sweetness on the palate of this dry wine. The finish persists for an age.