Profile

Structure

Bodymedium
Tanninlow
Aciditymedium
Sweetnessmedium sweet
Oakoak aged

Drinking window

Best 0 to 3 years from bottling.

bottling0 yrs3 yrs8 yrs

Critic scores

No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating above is our own.

In the glass

Medium-bodiedLow tanninMedium acidityMedium SweetClean, Softly Sweet And Refreshing finish

Aroma: white peach, honey, blossom, light almond

Palate: dried apricot, light honey, gentle almond, citrus peel

The wine that defined the Pale Cream category: Fino-pale in colour but sweetened, with white peach, honey and a clean refreshing finish.

What it pairs with

With cheese

Queso de Grazalema Our pick Payoyo describes its cured sheep cheese as straw yellow and intense, with a texture that melts on the palate. A sweetened sherry, a dry wine blended with sweet wine and aged in oak, plays its sweetness against the cheese's intensity and salt.

How to serve Croft Original Pale Cream

Allow 5 minutes from open to pour.

  1. Open and pour. Open and pour directly. No decanting required for this style.
  2. Serve at 8-10°C. Cellar temperature (8-10°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
  3. Glassware. Use a Sherry copita: the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
  4. Pair with. Melon with Iberian ham, Mild cheddar or gouda, Summer fruit salad. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

History

Croft Original was created in 1970 specifically to invent the Pale Cream category: a Fino-style sherry sweetened to medium-sweet levels but retaining the pale golden colour of a biologically aged wine. Founded in 1678 as a trading house, Croft now operates under the González Byass umbrella.

  1. 1678Croft trading house founded in Jerez
  2. 1970Croft Original Pale Cream introduced, creating a new sherry category
  3. 2001Croft acquired by González Byass group

Facts

Producer
Croft Sherry · visiting guide
Grapes
Palomino Fino
Classification
DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Oak
American oak butts; Fino-based solera sweetened before bottling; minimal oxidative influence
ABV
17.5%
Price
€8-14 at retail
Drinking window
0-3 from bottling
First vintage
1970

Frequently asked about Croft Original Pale Cream

What does Croft Original Pale Cream taste like?

On the nose, white peach, honey, blossom, light almond. On the palate, dried apricot, light honey, gentle almond, citrus peel. Structurally medium-bodied, low tannins, medium acidity with a clean, softly sweet and refreshing finish. The wine that defined the Pale Cream category: Fino-pale in colour but sweetened, with white peach, honey and a clean refreshing finish.

When should I drink Croft Original Pale Cream?

Drink 0-3 from bottling. Young vintages benefit from 30-90 minutes of decanting; mature bottles should be handled carefully for sediment.

What food pairs with Croft Original Pale Cream?

Melon with Iberian ham is the canonical pairing. Other strong matches include Mild cheddar or gouda and Summer fruit salad. The sweetness of the cream sherry echoes the melon while the saline almond provides contrast.

What grapes are in Croft Original Pale Cream?

The blend is Palomino Fino. The wine is classified as DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry.

Tags

drink young fortified sherry low tannin medium acid medium body medium sweet mood easygoing mood refreshing occasion aperitivo occasion summer occasion weeknight old world pairs with aperitif pairs with fruit desserts pairs with soft cheese palomino fino price everyday

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