palo cortados

Noun

palo cortado (countable and uncountable, plural palo cortados)

1. A rare variety of sherry that is initially aged under flor to become a fino or amontillado, but inexplicably loses its veil of flor and begins aging oxidatively as an oloroso, resulting in a wine with some of the richness of oloroso and some of the crispness of amontillado.
   • These wines are barely fortified to the minimum 15.5% required by Spanish law. By comparison, olorosos, the aged finos known as amontillados, the rare palo cortados (olorosos that spontaneously start to develop like finos) and sweet Sherries are usually fortified to 18% or 20%.1996 September 26, Joel Butler, “A Lighter Shade of Pale”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 02 Sep 2026