Score

NR
POOR
Palo Cortado

Drink window

2026–2036

Palo Cortado  · VOS  ·  Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

Palo Cortado Wellington VOS

Vintage NV
Average age 20+ years (minimum)
Alcohol 17.5%
Grape 100% Palomino Fino
Classification VOS
Ageing Biological Oxidative
Sweetness Bone dry
Sugar 3.0 g/L
Bottling Not disclosed
Format 50cl
Price Mid-range (£40.25, 50cl, thewhiskyexchange.com, June 2026)
Appellation Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

TASTING NOTE

Wellington VOS takes its name from the Duke of Wellington, whose army was supplied with Hidalgo’s wine during the Peninsular War at the same time as Napoleon’s forces received the Napoleón label. The wine is a Palo Cortado of around twenty-five to thirty years average age — just below the VORS threshold but with a complexity that rivals many certified VORS wines from other houses.

The nose is deep and complex: orange peel, apricot, burnt sugar, roasted nuts and an intriguing combination of umami and salinity. The palate is rich and generously structured, with a precise balance of generosity and austerity. The finish is long, dry and complex. A classic pairing for rich, umami-forward foods.

STYLE Palo Cortado
CLASSIFICATION VOS
APPELLATION Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
GRAPE 100% Palomino Fino
AGEING Biological + Oxidative
BOTTLING Not disclosed
SCORE NR