Osborne Sherry 10 RF Oloroso Medium

Osborne Sherry 10 RF Oloroso Medium is an old, mature, and powerful semi-dry Oloroso sherry. The quality designation "Oloroso" refers to a sherry with walnut notes and a strong, full-bodied aroma. The name "Oloroso" means "fragrant," and the abbreviation "RF" stands for "Reserva Familiar," as the Osborne family originally produced Oloroso sherry only for their own consumption. Only 10 casks of this sherry were produced – hence the name Osborne Sherry 10 RF. After pressing and fermentation in modern stainless steel tanks and the addition of wine alcohol to reach an alcohol content of approximately 15% ABV, the traditional aging of the wines begins in approximately 600-liter wooden casks, known as "butts." These casks are only two-thirds full, and a protective layer of yeast, called "flor," quickly forms on the surface of the wine. This layer protects the young wine from oxidation and is crucial for the development of Sherry's characteristic aromas. During aging according to the so-called "Solera system," the casks are continuously replenished with wine from younger vintages after about a third of the wine below the protective layer of yeast has been drawn off. In this way, the best wines pass through many rows of casks for several years. At the same time, this constant blending of old and younger wines results in a consistently uniform final product. Some of the young wines are stopped from further fermentation early on by the addition of wine alcohol. This produces sweet wines for the production of semi-dry and sweet Sherry varieties through blending. Another portion is allowed to ferment completely and is then aged at around 18% ABV after the addition of wine alcohol, preventing the formation of "flor" from the yeast. These wines oxidize during barrel aging to become dark golden dry “Amontillados” or “Olorosos”, thus contributing to the great diversity of Sherry styles through blending.