Winner Details

Sherry


2016 Gold: 2 Silver: 3 Bronze: 0 Commended: 2
2015 Gold: 4 Silver: 6 Bronze: 0 Commended: 4

Is there a sherry boom? Has it been and gone? Did anyone notice? Does anyone care?

This remains one of the most unloved parts of the competition, with some really good wines, but nowhere near enough of them – and puzzled sommeliers as a result. Compared to the vibrancy of Madeira, Port and Other Fortifieds in the Sommelier Wine Awards, the sherry shippers are showing a real lack of energy and imagination.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘Sherry is underrated so no one wants to pay for it even if it spends 30 years in barrel.’ Enikő Heidenwolf, 67 Pall Mall

‘It’s one of those tricky ones with sherry. There’s no really bad-quality dry sherries but fino is still a really hard sell.’ Chris Wood, Chelsea Vintners

FOOTNOTE: While prices shown on these pages relate to the size of bottle on sale, for judging purposes, prices were given for the 75cl equivalent volume.

Award winners

Found 7 wines

Sherry

Fernando de Castilla, Antique, Palo Cortado NV, Jerez, Spain

Gold medal winner

Gold for the second year in a row for this complex, seductive gem. Chris Wood of Chelsea Vintners found 'complex, nutty, creamy aromas with vegetal and oxidative notes on a delicious,beautiful palate', while team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW noted: 'Powerful vanilla and caramel, volatile aromas, and an equally powerful palate, alive with limes, walnuts, honey and terrifically long. No wine to match this originality.'
Andrés Ituarte of Avenue Restaurant agreed, saying: 'Delicious, with touches of burnt sugar, almond skin, clotted cream and Christmas spices.'
£21.70/50cl

£21.70 Size: 50cl Boutinot

Valdespino, El Candado, Pedro Ximénez NV, Jerez, Spain

Gold medal winner

It was the freshness of this PX that marked it out for the top.

'Elegant, balanced and very sweet, as expected, with notes of maple syrup, tarte tatin and an elegant finish,' said Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains, while team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW found it to be 'all about raisins and Christmas cake, overlaid with vanilla and caramel notes on a silky mid-palate, finishing tangy with a certain metallic edge'.

'A great food match,' enthused Zigmars Grinbergs of Vinoteca. £14.02/75cl

£14.02 Size: 75cl Liberty Wines

Fernando de Castilla, Antique, Fino NV, Jerez, Spain

Silver medal winner

'Zippy and zesty, with forward mineral character and a nicely savoury finish with good length, very moreish,' said Chris Wood of Chelsea Vintners, with team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW finding 'undernotes of rhubarb, ripe fruits, vanilla and caramel on a deliciously dry, long palate'. £13.20/50cl

£13.20 Size: 50cl Boutinot

Emilio Lustau, La Ina, Fino NV, Jerez, Spain

Silver medal winner

'Apple and camomile, floral aromas with delicate apple and almond on the palate,' began team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW, adding: 'Surprisingly persistent for such a pale, delicate wine, it's supple and long.'
'Aromatic, yeasty, fresh camembert rind and good balance,' added Laurent Richet MS of Restaurant Sat Bains. £10.19/75cl

£10.19 Size: 75cl Bibendum

Valdespino, Inocente, Fino NV, Jerez, Spain

Silver medal winner

'Marked bread and almond aromas, followed by a gloriously dry, lip-smackingly clean palate showing herbal and leafy notes. Long and refined,' said team leader Sarah Jane Evans MW.

'Very classy, with notes of green olives and green tea,' said Rudina Arapi of Galvin at Windows. £11.80/75cl

£11.80 Size: 75cl Liberty Wines

La Guita, En Rama NV, Jerez, Spain

Commended medal winner

£7.66 Size: 37.5cl Enotria&Coe

La Guita, Manzanilla NV, Jerez, Spain

Commended medal winner

£7.87 Size: 37.5cl Enotria&Coe