McWilliam's Fortified

The Flor component is made using traditional Spanish methods. The wine is stored in old oak barrels (between five and 40 years old) and inoculated with this film-forming yeast for a period of 18 months. The by-products created by this process are what contribute to the wine's distinctive and characteristic nutty rancio aroma and freshness.

The sweet sherry component is made by fermenting the free-run juice and a small percentage of the pressings. The fortification process takes place gradually during fermentation, with the addition of no more than two per cent of the high quality neutral spirit at any one time. This allows the winemakers to arrest fermentation at precisely the desired level of sweetness. This gradual fortification also allows for better alcohol integration, resulting in seamless flavours and aromas. The wine is then clarified, filtered and matured in small, old oak barrels for 18 months. The two components are then blended in varying proportions, and the final wine cold stabilised and filtered prior to blending.