Sherry · Explainer
What are amontillado and palo cortado?
Amontillado starts as fino under a layer of yeast and then ages with air in the cask; the end result is between 16 and 22 per cent alcohol. Palo cortado arises when a wine develops the aroma of amontillado during the sobretabla but the body of oloroso; it is fortified again to above 17 per cent and continues ageing with air. Both are dry, with less than 4 grams of sugar per litre.
In brief
The key figures
| Amontillado, ageing | First biologically under flor, then oxidatively |
|---|---|
| Amontillado, alcohol | 16 to 22 per cent |
| Palo cortado, alcohol | 17 to 22 per cent |
| Sugar, both styles | Less than 4 grams per litre, usually under 1 gram |
| Minimum maturation | Two years in the criaderas y solera system |
| Area of origin | Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María en Sanlúcar de Barrameda |
| Age designation | VOS from 20 years, VORS from 30 years average age |
| Age limit | Verkoop vanaf 18 jaar, NIX18 |
How is an amontillado made?
An amontillado starts as a fino: the wine first ages under a layer of yeast and then continues with air in the cask.
The bodeguero fortifies the base wine to 15 per cent. At that strength the velo de flor can grow, a layer of yeast that seals the wine off from the air. If the layer disappears, the wine does come into contact with oxygen and its colour turns from pale topaz to amber. The Consejo Regulador sets the alcohol of amontillado between 16 and 22 per cent.
What makes palo cortado different from amontillado?
Palo cortado combines the delicate aroma of an amontillado with the body and flavour of an oloroso.
The choice is made in the sobretabla, the stage shortly after fermentation. If the bodeguero tastes the characteristics of a palo cortado there, he marks the cask with a diagonal line. The wine is then fortified again, to above 17 per cent, so that the flor does not return and ageing continues oxidatively. The Consejo Regulador sets 17 to 22 per cent for this style.
Are amontillado and palo cortado sweet or dry?
Both are dry: less than 4 grams of sugar per litre, in practice often less than 1 gram.
The dark colour says nothing about sugar. In these styles colour comes from ageing with air. If you are looking for a sweet wine from the same region, you will end up with cream, medium, moscatel or pedro ximénez; pedro ximénez is above 212 grams of sugar per litre. Amontillado and palo cortado are bottled dry.
How long must these sherries age?
Sherry must age for at least two years in the criaderas y solera system.
In that system the casks are stacked in tiers. Wine is drawn from the bottom tier, the solera; that tier is topped up from the tier above, and so on upwards. For old bottlings there are controlled designations: 12 años, 15 años, VOS from an average age of twenty years and VORS from thirty years. Amontillado and palo cortado often carry these designations.
What do you serve amontillado and palo cortado with?
According to the Consejo Regulador, amontillado goes with mushrooms and vegetables such as broad beans, artichoke and asparagus, and with bluefin tuna.
Palo cortado is closer to amontillado in aroma and to oloroso in taste, and can therefore stand up to heavier dishes: cured ham, aged cheese, stews. Serve both lightly chilled in an ordinary wine glass rather than a small sherry glass, so the aroma can develop. Still unsure? Just drop in at the Brink in Bathmen.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which amontillados are on the shelf in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 3 amontillados from 2 different brands. Prices range from € 19.99 to € 34.99. Alcohol content ranges from 16.5% to 21.5%.
- González Byass Vina AB 12Y Amontillado Seco 16.5% · 37 cl · Spain
- González Byass Del Duque Amontillado V.O.R.S. 30Y 21.5% · 37 cl · Spain
- Tío Diego Amontillado 18% · 75 cl · Spain
Related questions
How long does sherry keep after opening?Can you use sherry in the kitchen?What are cream sherry and medium sherry?
Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- Is amontillado the same as oloroso?
- No. Oloroso is fortified straight to 17 per cent and ages only with air; amontillado first ages under flor and only then oxidatively.
- Why do you come across palo cortado so rarely?
- Palo cortado is not planned but identified during tasting, after which that cask goes its own way.
- How long does an opened bottle of amontillado keep?
- Amontillado and palo cortado are oxidatively aged and keep longer than fino once opened. Close the bottle tightly and store it somewhere cool and dark.
- What does VORS mean on a sherry label?
- VORS stands for Very Old Rare Sherry and applies only to wine with an average age of at least thirty years.
- From what age may you buy sherry?
- Vanaf 18 jaar. De Alcoholwet verbiedt verstrekking aan iedereen van wie niet is vastgesteld dat hij 18 is. NIX18.
The reasoning
Sources
- Amontillado, Consejo Regulador del Vino de Jerez (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Palo Cortado, Consejo Regulador del Vino de Jerez (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Ageing, Consejo Regulador del Vino de Jerez (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Special Categories of Sherry Wines, Consejo Regulador del Vino de Jerez (accessed 2026-09-06)
- Tapas and Sherry Pairing, the Essential Guide, Consejo Regulador del Vino de Jerez (accessed 2026-09-06)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.