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Sherry styles - fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso, PX

Sherry (in Spanish jerez) is one of the most misunderstood wines in the world. Many associate it only with a sweet, heavy grandmother drink, and that is a huge oversimplification. In reality sherry is a whole range of styles - from dry, salty and refreshing fino, through nutty amontillado, to rich oloroso and dense, syrup-sweet PX. What is more, these styles are born from a fascinating process: some age under a layer of living yeast called flor, others in contact with oxygen. It is a wine of remarkable diversity, hidden under one name. Here is a guide to the styles of sherry: what flor is, what biological and oxidative ageing are, and how fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso and PX differ.

Where sherry comes from

Sherry comes from the sherry triangle in the south of Spain, in Andalusia - between the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. It is a fortified wine, that is one to which alcohol is added, raising its strength. The dry styles are made almost exclusively from the white palomino grape, and the sweet ones from Pedro Ximénez (PX) and moscatel. The climate and the white, chalky albariza soil, which stores moisture, are crucial. It is a region of centuries-old tradition, where the wine ages in the characteristic solera system. Understanding that sherry is a fortified wine from a specific region of Spain is the starting point. It is a drink with a strong sense of place. It is Andalusian pride. We cover fortified wines in general more in port, sherry and madeira.

Flor - the secret of sherry

The most important secret of sherry is flor. It is a layer of living yeast that forms on the surface of the wine in the cask when the strength is suitably low (around 15 percent). Flor looks like a white, skin-like veil and plays two roles: it protects the wine from oxygen and changes its flavour, consuming some compounds and adding a characteristic yeasty, salty, slightly almond note. Wine ageing under flor is called biologically aged. When the strength is higher (above 17 percent), flor does not form, and the wine comes into contact with oxygen. This distinction - whether the wine ages under flor or in contact with oxygen - divides all of sherry into two worlds. Understanding the role of flor is the key to all the styles. It is a living veil that creates character. It is the heart of the mystery of sherry.

Two kinds of ageing

From flor come two fundamental types of sherry ageing. The first is biological - under a layer of flor, without access to oxygen. It gives wines that are pale, fresh, dry, salty and yeasty (fino, manzanilla). The second is oxidative - in contact with oxygen, without flor or after it has died. It gives wines that are dark, amber or mahogany, rich, nutty and deep (oloroso). Some styles combine both stages: first under flor, then oxidatively (amontillado). This axis - biological versus oxidative - is the most important criterion ordering the world of sherry. Understanding that two kinds of ageing give two kinds of flavour puts everything into a logical whole. It is two roads from the same wine. It is the key to reading sherry labels.

Fino - pale and dry

Fino is the flagship example of biologically aged sherry. It is made from palomino, fortified to around 15 percent, and spends its whole life under a layer of flor. The result is a wine that is very pale, dry, light and refreshing, with notes of almonds, fresh pastry, herbs and a clear salty freshness. Fino is served well chilled, like a white wine, and drunk young - after opening it quickly loses its freshness. It is an ideal aperitif and companion to tapas, especially seafood and nuts. Contrary to the stereotype of sweet sherry, fino is dry to the bone. Understanding that fino is a pale, dry sherry from under the flor overturns the myth of sweetness. It is the refreshing essence of Andalusia. It is a completely different world from the sweet versions.

Manzanilla - the salty cousin

Manzanilla is a close relative of fino, but with one distinction: it is made exclusively in the seaside Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The humid, maritime climate there favours an exuberant flor all year round, and the proximity of the ocean gives the wine an even clearer, salty, almost iodine freshness. Manzanilla is usually lighter, more delicate and saltier than fino, though it is made the same way - biologically, under flor. It is a wine practically made for seafood and fried fish. The difference between fino and manzanilla is above all the place and the maritime character. Understanding that manzanilla is fino from Sanlúcar with a maritime note completes the picture of wines from under the flor. It is the taste of a sea breeze. It is the most subtle of the dry sherries.

A table: five styles

Let us gather the main styles in one place:

The table shows the full spectrum of sherry: from pale, dry fino to dark, sweet PX. The key is the kind of ageing and the level of sweetness.

Amontillado - the bridge between worlds

Amontillado is a fascinating in-between style. It begins life like fino, ageing under flor (biologically), but at some point the flor dies (naturally or after additional fortification), and the wine ages on in contact with oxygen (oxidatively). The result is a combination of both worlds: an amber colour, dryness, and on top nutty, almond and caramel notes with depth. Amontillado is heavier than fino, but still dry (true amontillado is not sweet, even though it is sometimes sold sweetened). It is a wine of complexity, ideal with aged cheeses, poultry or mushrooms. Understanding that amontillado combines biological and oxidative ageing explains its unique character. It is a bridge between fino and oloroso. It is a style for those who seek depth.

Oloroso - dark and rich

Oloroso is the flagship example of oxidative ageing. The wine is fortified more strongly from the start (above 17 percent), so that flor does not form at all, and the wine spends its whole life in contact with oxygen. The result is a sherry that is dark, mahogany, rich and full, with notes of walnut, dried fruit, leather, spice and wood. Importantly, true oloroso is dry, despite an intense, almost sweet aroma - it is an illusion created by richness, not sugar. Oloroso is, however, sometimes sweetened into a cream style. Natural, dry oloroso pairs with red meats, game and hard cheeses. Understanding that oloroso is a dark, rich, yet dry oxidative sherry overturns another myth. It is power without sweetness. It is the depth of ageing in contact with oxygen.

PX - sweet as syrup

At the other extreme stands Pedro Ximénez, or PX - the sweetest style of sherry. It is made from PX grapes sun-dried, which lose their water and concentrate the sugar to the extreme. The result is a wine almost black, dense as syrup, intensely sweet, with notes of raisins, figs, dates, molasses, coffee and chocolate. PX is practically a liquid dessert - it is poured over vanilla ice cream, drunk with cakes or on its own as a digestif. It is the opposite of dry fino, though both bear the name sherry. Cream sherry is usually oloroso sweetened with precisely a touch of PX. Understanding that PX is an extremely sweet sherry from dried grapes closes the spectrum of styles. It is the essence of sweetness. It is the end of the road from dry to sweet. We cover the ageing system more in the solera system.

How to taste them

The best way to get to know sherry is to taste the styles side by side, from pale to dark. Start with chilled fino or manzanilla - sense the salty, almond dryness. Then amontillado - feel the nutty depth with dryness preserved. Next oloroso - richness and fullness without sugar. Finally PX - an explosion of the sweetness of raisins and molasses. Such a tasting shows the whole spectrum in the palm of your hand and overturns the myth that sherry is just a sweet drink. Serve the dry styles chilled, the sweet ones at room temperature. Note your impressions, because these are wines of remarkable diversity. Understanding how to taste them from light to dark turns theory into pleasure. It is a journey through one wine with many faces. It is the best lesson in sherry.

The essentials in brief

Let us gather it up. Sherry (jerez) is a fortified wine from the south of Spain, with a whole range of styles, not just sweet ones. The key is flor - a layer of living yeast that at lower strength protects the wine from oxygen (biological ageing), and at higher strength does not form (oxidative ageing). Fino and manzanilla age under flor: pale, dry, salty (manzanilla from seaside Sanlúcar is lighter and saltier). Amontillado combines both stages - amber, nutty, dry. Oloroso ages oxidatively: dark, rich, but dry. PX is an extremely sweet wine from dried grapes. The best way to learn them is in a tasting from light to dark. Now you know that sherry is not one drink but a whole world of flavours.

Note every sherry in GustoNote - including its style and whether it aged biologically or oxidatively. In time you will recognise the difference between flor and oxygen in the glass yourself.