Oloroso
Oloroso ("scented" in Spanish) is a variety of fortified wine (sherry) made in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles and produced by oxidative aging. It is normally darker than Amontillado. Oloroso is usually dark and nutty.
Unlike the Fino and Amontillado sherries, in Oloroso the flor yeast is suppressed by fortification at an earlier stage. This causes the finished wine to lack the fresh yeasty taste of the fino sherries. Without the layer of flor, the sherry is exposed to air through the slightly porous walls of the American or Canadian oak casks, and undergoes oxidative aging. As the wine ages, it becomes darker and stronger and is often left for many decades.
Oloroso Sherry is also the base for many of the sweet sherries developed for the international market, such as Bristol Cream, in which Oloroso is sweetened and sometimes has the color removed by charcoal filtering to achieve a desired effect.
Varieties
- Oloroso del Puerto is an oloroso from El Puerto de Santa María.
- Manzanilla Olorosa is a manzanilla aged to the point that it takes on the quality of an Oloroso.
Serving
Olorosos are dry, not sweet. Wines labelled as "Rich Oloroso", "Sweet Oloroso" or "Oloroso Dulce" were formally banned by the Andalusian regional government on 12 April 2012.[1] They will have to re-labelled as "Cream Sherry: Blend of Oloroso". The rules applicable to the sweet and fortified Denominaciones de Origen Montilla-Moriles and Jerez-Xérès-Sherry [1][2] are:
| Fortified Wine Type | Alcohol % ABV | Sugar content (grams per litre) |
|---|---|---|
| Oloroso | 17-22 | 0–5 |
| Cream | 15.5-22 | 115-140 |
For the full rules for sweetness of Sherry see Sweetness of wine.
Oloroso should be served at 12-14°C, and can be served as an apéritif with nuts, olives or figs, with game and red meats, or after a meal with rich cheeses. Sweetened Oloroso can also be taken as a long drink with ice. Cream Sherries which are sweetened Oloroso, (produced by blending with Pedro Ximénez wine), should also be served at 12-14°C and are usually served after a meal as a dessert wine. They can also be served with certain dishes, such as foie gras.
Storing
Because Oloroso Sherries have already been through years of oxidative aging, they can be safely stored for years before opening. Once opened, Oloroso will begin to slowly lose some of its aroma and flavor but can be kept, corked and refrigerated, for up to two months after opening. The older the Oloroso, the longer it will stay perfect for consumption, as much as 12 months.
Other uses
When the casks used to age Oloroso Sherry are retired, they are often sent to Scotland and Ireland, where they are used to age fine whisky. Single malt whisky aged in sherry casks is regarded by some as a special category with its own aficionados. The Oloroso wine infused in the wood of the casks imparts some of the flavor and aroma of the wine to the whisky during the aging process. Oloroso casks are also used to age brandy for the same reasons. Most of the warehouse managers and master blender only use the Oloroso sherry casks for the finishing of whisky. Whisky that was only matured in Oloroso casks is often considered to taste more of liqueur than whisky.[3]