Fernando de Castilla Classic Fino

Fernando de Castilla Classic Fino is a Jerez sherry from Rey Fernando de Castilla, made entirely from Palomino Fino. The grapes come from the albariza chalk soils of the Jerez Marco, a bright white earth that holds winter rainfall in reserve and reflects the strong Andalusian sun, keeping the late-ripening Palomino fresh and moderate in sugar. After harvest the fruit is pressed and the must fermented in stainless steel, then fortified to 15 percent before ageing. The wine spends about five years in oak butts under a cap of flor, the film of yeast that grows on the surface and seals the wine from air. The flor metabolises oxygen and acetaldehyde, which is why Fino stays pale and keeps its crisp green-apple sharpness, bready aroma and saline grip rather than browning and oxidising. The colour is an attractive straw-yellow, the nose distinguished and sharp, and the palate dry, smooth and light with a clean savoury finish. Serve well chilled at 7 to 9 degrees in a white-wine glass, freshly opened. It is at home as an aperitif or alongside seafood and cured ham.