1876 Facts About Sherry by Henry Vizetelly

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Facts about Sherry.

palma. Wine of tMs description is stonter, dryer, and more pungent in flavour tlian an ordinary fino,is of a more decided yellow or pale amber tinge,and wben of tbe double palma type tastes riper, fuller, and altogether richer. The amontillado character results from the wines developing the mycoderma vina,^ or so-called flowers of wine, in the earlier stages of their existence. Underthese conditions their alcohol, absorbing the oxygen of the atmosphere, becomes largely transformed into aldehyde, whence is due that marked etherous flavour commonly foimd in wines of this description. The olorosos are known in their earlier stages as pales cor- tados, from the butts containing them being marked with an upright line intersected obliquely by a shorter one,and intended to indicate a cut stick. They are deeper in colour than the amontiUados, have a nutty flavour, and are fuller, richer, and mellower to the taste, besides possessing an especially fragrant bouquet. Inferior wines are known as entre-finos, or middling flne; bastos, rough or coarse; redondos, round; and abocados, mild. In the bodegas, however, the above are simply grouped as single, double,and triple rayas,indicated respectively by one> two,or three perpendicular lines chalked upon the butts. Single raya is good-flavoured, dry, clean wine, but boasting no very prominent qualities, while double and triple raya are less clean? and in other respects altogether inferior, decreasing,in fact,in quahty with the increase in the number ofmarks. Although the Jerez wines frequently show early signs which indicate their futiire character,theycannot be classified with cer tainty untilafter theirthird year. Atthis age they mayperhaps be considered fit for drinking,inasmuch as they will have completed their fermentation; still they will greatly improve with increas ing years. Wine newly drawn off the lees, if of good quality, commands from .£11 to <£13 10s. the butt at Jerez, whereas^ inferior winesfrom the sandy soils can be bought atfrom £3 15s. to £6 the butt—^these prices being exclusive of the cask. The new wine has to be carefully reared, subject to the accidents of falling off in quality, becoming scuddy, or turning sour, and