582 journal of Agriculture. [10 Sept., 1909. 



The Cortados. — These are in strong contrast to the previous type. 

 Palo Cortado means literally cut pole, i.e., a pole or stick with a notch 

 cut on it, and this, the chalk mark, used to distinguish this type, is sup- 

 posed to resemble (2 in photograph). Such a wine is the basis of Oloroso 

 Sherries, just as a palma is that of fino wines. A voung wine marked as 

 Palo Cortado is a good deal more alcoholic than a Palma — usually over 

 27 per cent, of proof spirit, and often distinctly golden in colour. Though 

 remarkable for its cleanness and absolute freedom from any trace of 

 coarseness, it has far more character and body than a palma. A novice 

 has not the same difficulty in realizing that such a wine will eventually 

 develop into a Sherry. 



Dos Cortado and Tres Cortado (meaning, respectively, twice cut and 

 thrice cut) differ but in degree from Palo Cortado. Thev are bigger and 

 fuller wines, and are not met with so frequentlv as the other types. A 

 Tres Cortado is, for example, quite exceptional — an extra fine wine of 

 which great things are expected. Such a cask may remain for years as 

 an aiiada, thus constituting the exceptional case of a " vintage Sherry." 

 The cortados generally take longer to ferment than palmas. Though 

 they may be fit to rack at the preliminarv classification, they are more 

 usually left over until midwinter before being separated from their lees. 

 It is this group which appears to depend largely for its peculiar charac- 

 ter on the development of the apiculatus veast during the early stages of 

 its fermentation. 



Though the cortados are ^■ery distinct from palmas, an intermediate 

 wine is occasionallv to be met with. Such a wine is marked as a 

 Palma cortado (Xo. 5 on photograph). These wines are rare, and 

 therefore merit only passing mention. They serve to give an idea of 

 the complexity of the question, individual firms occasionally singling out 

 different intermediate types in this way. 



The Rayas constitute a rather lower grade group. Raya simply means 

 a chalk mark — the number of marks given is in inverse ratio to the quality 

 of the wine We thus have casks marked as un raya, dos rayas, and tres 

 rayas (i, 2 or 3 marks) in descending order of merit. 



A wine marked as /m raya (Xo. 6) is a sound, well fermented, wine 

 free from any trace of coarseness, but not quite delicate or light enough 

 for a palma, and not ix>ssessing sufficient distinction or bodv for a palo 

 cortado. It is, in fact, a wine without marked qualities or faults. It 

 may develop into something better, but for the time being it is premature 

 to decide what is to be done with it. Such a wine is usually kept as an 

 aiiada for at least a year. It may. according to its strength and body, 

 eventually find its way either into a fino or an oloroso solera. 



Dos Rayas is marked on a wine which has a tendency to be coarse 

 or basto — but only slightly so. If at the end of a vear or so this defect 

 has decreased, it may .still prove a useful wine. It is usually fuller than 

 the prevous type, and therefore finds its way into oloroso rather than into 

 fino soleras. 



A Tres Rayas wine possesses the same defects as the pre\ious one, but 

 in a higher degree. Excessive pressing of the grapes is often responsible 

 for a cask being drafted into this class, which is seldom used, except for 

 blending into cheap sherries, if, indeed, it does not find its wav to the 

 still. 



