In the glass
Aroma: hazelnut, dried fig, walnut, leather, sea breeze
Palate: caramel, dried orange, rancio, saline mineral, coffee
Palo Cortado from Sanlúcar with the hazelnut nose of Amontillado and the full, rancio palate of Oloroso; the intermediate style at its most distinct.
What it pairs with
-
Cured ham with aged cheese board
The wine's dual personality bridges the salty-dry and the nutty-rich. -
Duck confit
Rich game fat requires the wine's combined acidity and oxidative weight. -
Grilled sardines
Oily fish with charred skin echoes the wine's dried-orange and saline notes.
How to serve Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado
Allow 5 minutes from open to pour.
- Open and pour. Open and pour directly. No decanting required for this style.
- Serve at 8-10°C. Cellar temperature (8-10°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
- Glassware. Use a Sherry copita: the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
- Pair with. Cured ham with aged cheese board, Duck confit, Grilled sardines. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.
History
Palo Cortado is the rarest and most unpredictable sherry style, arising when a cask destined for Fino or Manzanilla biological ageing spontaneously loses its flor coverage partway through development. Barbadillo's Obispo Gascón, named after a 19th-century Bishop of Cádiz, is a consistently bottled Palo Cortado from the Sanlúcar designation, offering the distinctive Amontillado-Oloroso hybrid profile.
- 1825 — Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado designation established at Barbadillo
Facts
- Producer
- Bodegas Barbadillo
- Grapes
- Palomino Fino
- Classification
- DO Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda
- Oak
- Rare biological-to-oxidative transition; intermediate solera combining Amontillado and Oloroso characteristics
- ABV
- 20.0%
- Price
- €18-30 at retail
- Drinking window
- 5-25 from bottling
- First vintage
- 1825
Frequently asked about Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado
What does Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado taste like?
On the nose, hazelnut, dried fig, walnut, leather, sea breeze. On the palate, caramel, dried orange, rancio, saline mineral, coffee. Structurally full-bodied, low tannins, medium acidity with a long with characteristic Palo Cortado tension between biological and oxidative finish. Palo Cortado from Sanlúcar with the hazelnut nose of Amontillado and the full, rancio palate of Oloroso; the intermediate style at its most distinct.
When should I drink Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado?
Drink 5-25 from bottling. Young vintages benefit from 30-90 minutes of decanting; mature bottles should be handled carefully for sediment.
What food pairs with Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado?
Cured ham with aged cheese board is the canonical pairing. Other strong matches include Duck confit and Grilled sardines. The wine's dual personality bridges the salty-dry and the nutty-rich.
What grapes are in Obispo Gascón Palo Cortado?
The blend is Palomino Fino. The wine is classified as DO Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda.