Lustau Sherry

Sustainable viticulture.

Vinification is in a modern, state-of-the-art winery, yet the ageing process is as traditional as it gets. The grapes are quickly pressed, using sophisticated pneumatic presses. Fermentation is in stainless steel, with temperatures controlled to produce fresh, clean aromatic wines. For the dry styles, the musts are fermented to dryness before fortification with grape spirit. All wines are then aged in 500 litre oak barrels known as ‘bota’. No new oak is allowed in the production of Sherry, and in fact, the older the barrel, the more prized it becomes. Aside from the Oloroso’s, all wines spend at least some time ageing under ‘flor’ (a naturally-occuring film of yeast which protects the Sherry from oxygen) – this gives added complexity, while maintaining a youthful delicacy. Those sherries aged at El Puerto and particularly Sanlucar are protected by a thick covering of flor all year round, a natural result of the cooler temperatures and higher humidity down by the coast. These wines go into the excellent Manzanilla and Fino del Puerto soleras, and are also responsible for such fine rarities as Manzanilla Amontillado and Amontillado del Puerto.

In Jerez, the most delicate soleras that remain under flor are bottled as Fino, or aged until the flor dies and the wine becomes Amontillado. The Olorosos, which do not develop this layer of flor, undergo lengthy oxidative aging, giving them richness in colour and flavour, with complex nutty aromas. Palo Cortado is a rare style, between an Amontillado and an Oloroso. What makes the Lustau examples special is the sheer diversity of styles, combined with the age of soleras which were established long ago, and contain a high proportion of old wine. Being a historical Sherry house, Lustau also has longstanding relationships with small artisanal producers, giving them access to some very old and fine stocks held by the Almacenistas. No other Sherry house can draw upon such fine, mature stocks. In recognition of this, Lustau bottle many of the Almacenista soleras individually, offering a diverse portfolio of very fine and unique Sherries.

The sweet Moscatel and Pedro Ximinez wines are produced from very concentrated sun dried grapes that are partially fermented and then aged in the solera system, retaining the majority of their natural sweetness. Lustau have also created some unique, sweeter styles of Sherry. East India is a blend of dry Oloroso and very sweet Pedro Ximinez, sourced from the finest Lustau soleras, which is then aged further as a blend in a separate solera in warm, humid conditions. This replicates the style of wines produced in the 18th Century when trading ships carried casks of Sherry on long voyages across the tropics. Oloroso Añada is a single vintage Sherry, made solely from Palomino grapes, fortified before fermentation has finished to preserve natural sugars, and then aged many years in cask, with no solera-blending.