Palomino is a neutral white grape mainly used in the production of Sherry, a fortified wine from southern Spain. Palomino is grown around the world, including in Portugal, Cypress, California, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. In all of these regions, it is mostly used for production of either sherry style wines or as a distillate for other products. Palomino also has low levels of acid and sugar, which are undesirable characteristics for an unfortified still wine. Palomino is well suited to regions where drought is common because it can tolerate dry, hot sun. This is becoming increasingly important as climate change affects wine regions around the world. Regions continue to seek out grapes that will thrive as conditions continue to change, and making sherry style wines is an option for many places.
This week I drank a Seppeltsfield flor aged solera wine from South Australia made of Palomino, denoted as DP116. Flor aging means there is a layer of yeast over the top of wine in the barrel that protects the wine from oxygenation, while also imparting flavors in the wine (Flor aging is also known as biological aging). If a wine is labelled as South Australia, the grapes can come from anywhere in the state. South Australia is the largest wine-producing state by volume in the country. It contains many notable regions such as Adelaide, Barossa, Coonawarra and Clare Valley. If the grapes all originated from one of these regions, the label could state just the regional name. This wine is a pale amber color with aromas of blanched almond, green olive, hay, honeycomb , and dried lemon peel. On the palate, this full bodied wine is off-dry with a high level of alcohol, fortified with neutral grape spirit to over 22% ABV. The touch of sweetness helps balance a sharp acidity. The acidity also helped me find a cut in my lip that I didn’t know I had. The nutty notes combine with briny olives and a touch of bitterness on the palate and long finish. The lightly sweet notes mostly balance the bitterness. This wine is similar in style to Amontillado sherry (discussed in the Sherry series back in December of 2020). It would pair well with mushroom risotto or a meat and cheese platter with aged cheeses and cured meats.
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 