Palo Cortado is a very rare variety of Sherry. Iinitially put to age under Flor yeast to become a Fino or Amontillado, but after the inexplicable demise of flor, oxidative development takes over in the lines of Oloroso ageing.
Bright mahogany-coloured, it combines the delicate savory character of Amontilladowith the rich vinous qualities of Oloroso. Its alcohol content varies between 17ºand 22º. Palo Cortado is a great apéritif served with olives, nuts, cheese, or foie gras. It can also accompany fowl, red meats, or game.
Relatively new to the celebrated Almacenista family, this 22 butt Solera produces an enigmatically fresh yet persuasively powerful Palo Cortado, the sherry style which is to me both the hardest to fathom and, not unrelated, the most potentially rewarding. Stylistically it sits half way between Amontillado and Oloroso, maintaining the elegance of the former and the nutty complexity of the later, combining them effortlessly with a mysterious and nearly alchemical brio. Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer