Palo Cortado
Encyclopedia
Palo Cortado is a rare variety of sherry
that is initially aged under flor
to become a fino
or amontillado
, but inexplicably loses its veil of flor and begins aging oxidatively as an oloroso
. The result is a wine with some of the richness of oloroso and some of the crispness of amontillado. Only about 1-2% of the grapes pressed for sherry naturally develop into palo cortado.
The name means 'cut stick,' in reference to the mark made on the cask when this style of wine is recognized. Since the wine was originally destined to be a fino or amontillado, it will initially have had a single stroke marked on the cask. When the overseer realizes that the wine is becoming a palo cortado, he draws a cross (or cut) through the initial stroke (or stick), resulting in a crossed stroke or 'cut stick' (/). At this time the wine will be fortified to about 17.5% alcohol, to prevent spoilage from contact with the air. As the overseer continues to monitor the wine over time, he may feel it necessary to add additional measures of alcohol to the casks to continue its development. These additional measures are marked on the cask as additional crosses, and the resulting wine is designated 'dos cortados,' 'tres cortados,' etc. according to the number of 'cuts' marked on the cask. The greater the number of cuts, the greater the age of the wine.
Though a 'true' palo cortado is said to be produced accidentally, because of the demand for this style of wine it is sometimes produced intentionally by blending amontillado with oloroso to produce a wine with the hybrid flavour of a palo cortado—and a lower price than the naturally-occurring wine.
with olives, nuts, cheese, or foie gras; it can also accompany fowl, red meats, or game. It should be served slightly chilled.
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
that is initially aged under flor
Flor
Flor is a winemaking term referring to a film of yeast on the surface of wine and which is important in the manufacture of certain styles of sherry. The flor is formed naturally under certain winemaking conditions, from indigenous yeasts found in the region of Andalucía in southern Spain...
to become a fino
Fino
Fino is the driest and palest of the traditional varieties of sherry. They are drunk comparatively young, and unlike the sweeter varieties should be drunk soon after the bottle is opened as exposure to air can cause them to lose their flavour within hours.-Flor:The defining component of Fino...
or amontillado
Amontillado
Amontillado is a variety of sherry, characterized by being darker than fino but lighter than oloroso. It is named for the Montilla region of Spain, where the style originated in the 18th century, although the name 'amontillado' is sometimes used commercially as a simple measure of colour to label...
, but inexplicably loses its veil of flor and begins aging oxidatively as an oloroso
Oloroso
Oloroso is a variety of sherry produced by oxidative aging. It is normally darker than amontillado and has a higher glycerine content, which makes it smoother and less dry. Oloroso is usually dark and nutty....
. The result is a wine with some of the richness of oloroso and some of the crispness of amontillado. Only about 1-2% of the grapes pressed for sherry naturally develop into palo cortado.
The name means 'cut stick,' in reference to the mark made on the cask when this style of wine is recognized. Since the wine was originally destined to be a fino or amontillado, it will initially have had a single stroke marked on the cask. When the overseer realizes that the wine is becoming a palo cortado, he draws a cross (or cut) through the initial stroke (or stick), resulting in a crossed stroke or 'cut stick' (
Though a 'true' palo cortado is said to be produced accidentally, because of the demand for this style of wine it is sometimes produced intentionally by blending amontillado with oloroso to produce a wine with the hybrid flavour of a palo cortado—and a lower price than the naturally-occurring wine.
Varieties
- Jerez Cortado is a variety of palo cortado made not in JerezJerez de la FronteraJerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
, but in Sanlúcar de BarramedaSanlúcar de BarramedaSanlúcar de Barrameda is a city in the northwest of Cádiz province, part of the autonomous community of Andalucía in southern Spain. Sanlúcar is located on the left bank at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River opposite the Doñana National Park, 52 km from the provincial capital Cádiz and...
, the most westerly of the three points of the 'Sherry Triangle', properly known as the denominación de Jerez. The city of Jerez is the most easterly point — and Puerto de Santa María lies southwest of that.http://www.infoagro.com/denominaciones/denominaciones_vino.asp?id=19http://www.lustau.es/s-regiondetail.htm
Serving
Palo Cortado can be served as an apéritifAperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
with olives, nuts, cheese, or foie gras; it can also accompany fowl, red meats, or game. It should be served slightly chilled.