A Palo Cortado is one of Sherry’s more intriguing detours starting life under flor like a Fino or Amontillado before quietly shifting into oxidative ageing. The result sits in its own space, showing layered toasted nuttiness, dried fruit richness and a gentle saline edge. Dry, savoury and precise, with real depth.

Made by Delgado Zuleta in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the Atlantic breeze keeps everything honest and slightly salty. One of the oldest bodegas in the Sherry world, it’s been working with the region’s chalky albariza soils and humid coastal conditions for centuries. Traditional solera ageing does the heavy lifting here, with a house style focused on balance, freshness, and wines that taste like they’ve spent their life within sniffing distance of the sea.