Barbadillo VORS Palo Cortado 30 Year Old Obispo Gascon

Description

Barbadillo VORS Palo Cortado 30 Year Old Obispo Gascon is a dry, yet rich Sherry. VORS is a category of rare Sherries denoting a Sherry over 30 years of age and this limited release bottling is a selection of Barbadillo’s best wines from the third criadera of their 120-cask solera.

Barbadillo Sherry, Since 1821

Barbadillo is one of the ten largest and oldest family businesses in Spain. The company’s origins can be traced back to 1821, when Don Benigno Barbadillo and Don Manuel Lopez Barbadillo settled in Sanlucar de Barrameda in the province of Cadiz. They would release their first wine, the Manzanilla Divina Pastor, in 1827.

The Bodegas Barbadillo Company was eventually established in 1954 and today is one of the largest and most respected Sherry and Spanish Brandy producers. They are widely regarded as one of the very best producers of Manzanilla Sherries, the salty, tangy Fino-style Sherries produced in Sanlucar de Barrameda. Today, the company exports to over 50 countries and has won numerous awards for quality and innovation in winemaking.

What is Palo Cortado Sherry?

Palo Cortado is a rare and unique type of Sherry known for its complex flavour profile that bridges the gap between the delicate, nutty characteristics of an Amontillado and the richer, more robust qualities of an Oloroso.

The wine begins its life under a layer of flor (yeast), like a Fino or Amontillado, which protects it from oxidation, but then the flor unexpectedly dies (off can be intentionally disrupted), allowing the wine to undergo oxidative ageing similar to an Oloroso. This dual ageing process gives Palo Cortado its distinctive character.

Palo Cortado is often described as the “accidental” or “rebel” sherry. The name “Palo Cortado” means “cut stick” in Spanish and refers to the mark made on barrels to distinguish it from other sherry types during ageing.

Barbadillo VORS Palo Cortado 30 Year Old Obispo Gascon

Barbadillo VORS Palo Cortado 30 Year Old Obispo Gascon is made from 100% Palomino Fino grapes. The grapes are sourced from vineyards in the Jerez Superior region. The vineyards have a specific microclimate and are located inland on a site that promotes the proper ripening of the grapes. The vines have an average age of 20 years old and are planted on the famous white, chalky soils of the region known as Albariza.

After harvest, the Palomino grapes are pressed and the juice is fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures. After fermentation, the young wine is fortified by adding neutral grape spirit to increase the alcohol content to around 15%. The wine is put into 500 litre Jerez casks and then enters the Criaderas and Solera ageing system, a fractional ageing process used to make Sherry, which allows for the traditional blending of new wines with older wines.

In the Solera, the wine in the barrels develops “flor” a layer of yeast, which protects the maturing Sherry. As mentioned above, with a Palo Cortado, this dies away and allows the Sherry to age more oxidatively. The wine is aged in the Solera and, as a VORS, the resulting wine is bottled with an average age of at least 30 years old.

This bottling is from 2017 and is drawn from old soleras kept in La Casa de la Cilla (18th Century) in Sanlucar’s Barrio Alto. A quota of only 240 bottles was allowed for this bottling and each bottle is numbered. This fantastic Sherry is darker in colour, drier and more intense in aroma and flavour than the classic Palo Cortado Obispo Gascon, with fantastically complex notes of citrus, grilled nuts, spices and a distinctive salty finish.

What is VORS Sherry?

VORS is a term used for some of the oldest and rarest Sherries a Bodega produces. Certified by the Consejo Regulador, laboratory analysis and an independent tasting committee, only Sherries over 30 years old can be called VORS. Each bodega is only allowed to release a small quota of these rare Sherries per campaign. The acronym VORS stands for “Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum” (Wine Selected as Optimal and Exceptional), which is conveniently translated into English as “Very Old Rare Sherry”.