Osborne Sherry Golden

Osborne Sherry Golden is a rich, full-bodied, spicy-sweet sherry. This world-famous wine owes its name to the Andalusian city of Jerez, which eventually became "Sherry" in English. The grapes grow on white limestone soils called "albarizas" in a triangle between the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa Maria, and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. 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 wines begin their traditional aging process in wooden casks, called "butts," which hold approximately 600 liters. 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 the characteristic sherry 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 young 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 yields 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 yeast. These wines oxidize during cask aging into dark golden, dry "Amontillados" or "Olorosos," and thus, through blending, contribute to the great diversity of sherry styles.