Uncorked with Henry Butler: Celebrate International Sherry Week
This week we celebrate International Sherry Week, a campaign showcasing the versatility of this undervalued style of wine. We’ll have the delicious Bodegas Lustau Don Nuno Oloroso open to taste in our shop on St Georges Roadon Friday 7 and Saturday 8 November so do drop by.
Sherry has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity recently, after many years in the doldrums. It was a super popular drink up to the end of the 1970s, buoyed up by sales of Harvey’s Bristol Cream and Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino. But it then had a long period of being out of favour, particularly the sweeter styles.
Sherry is a fantastic wine, and must be celebrated in my opinion.
What is Sherry? It is a fortified wine from Spain, specifically the area of Jerez. Legally wine can’t be labelled as Sherry if it’s not from this designated geographical area. The name is protected, much like Champagne.
It is a fortified wine, which means it starts with a standard fermentation and then has a neutral grape spirit added to it, which brings the alcohol up to 15-18% depending on the style. It can be bone dry such as a Fino, or sweet and luscious like a Pedro Ximenez, and all points in between.
There is a long, rich history of winemaking in Jerez, producing this unique style of wine. The juice is allowed to age in very old barrels, in dark atmospheric cellars, which helps to give Sherry its distinctive flavour. The drier, lighter styles of Sherry develop a layer of yeast called flor, which sits like a cap on the wine and protects it. These wines have a freshness and a slight salinity to them.
In some cases the flor doesn’t develop. These wines undergo oxidative ageing in barrels, resulting in darker styles such as Oloroso or Amontillado, which have rich, nutty flavours.
Sherry can be served chilled as an aperitif, the lighter styles work brilliantly with seafood. The darker, richer styles match perfectly with game dishes and hard cheeses, and Pedro Ximenez is a delight with vanilla ice cream.
My advice would be to experiment with a few to find out the style which suits your taste. Our friends at Fourth and Church restaurant in Hove have a fantastic range by the glass, served by a knowledgeable team.
Here are a couple of our current favourites.
Oloroso Don Nuno Dry Solera Familiar, Bodegas Lustau NV (Special Offer £22.50)
Bodegas Lustau is a renowned sherry producer with a rich and fascinating history. Founded in 1896 by Don José Ruiz-Berdejo, a sherry-loving man from Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, Lustau began as a humble almacenista, a small winery and warehouse that stored and aged sherry wines.
Don José's passion for crafting exceptional sherries soon caught the attention of sherry connoisseurs, and Lustau rapidly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and unique style.
This Oloroso undergoes oxidative ageing for 12 years in Bodega La Campana in Jerez de la Frontera. Dark bronze colour with golden rim. Nutty aromas with a smoky wood background. A dry wine with rich flavours of bitter chocolate, walnuts and baked chestnuts.
Valdespino 'Deliciosa' Manzanilla 375ml NV (£12.49)
Pale straw yellow coloured, with a delicate yeasty, bready note on the nose, as well as a hint of flower blossom. On the palate it is very dry, crisp and fresh with a slightly saline finish. Perfect with almonds, olives or tinned fish.
Butlers Wine Cellar, 88 St George's Road, Brighton BN2 1EE
01273 621 638 • www.butlers-winecellar.co.uk
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