Bodegas Lustau, Oloroso, Pata de Gallina, Almacenista Jarana, Jerez, Spain
Critics reviews
Jay S Miller - 28/02/2007
Jancis Robinson MW - Financial Times - December 2014
About this WINE
Bodegas Emilio Lustau
Emilio Lustau was established in 1896 and was initially a small family concern until the founder`s son-in-law placed it on a business footing.
The firm is perhaps best known as pioneering the Almacenista system, whereby individual dry sherries are produced from small private holdings. These are bottled under Lustau`s name but with the individual bodega's name on the label as well. Today they are amongst the most sought-out Sherries in the region.
The firm also produces superb wines from its recently acquired 170 hectare Montenegrillo vineyard.
Oloroso Sherry
Oloroso Sherry is a distinguished style of Sherry wine from the Jerez region in Andalusia. Known for its deep amber colour and full-bodied richness, Oloroso is one of the most versatile and complex types of Sherry. Unlike its lighter counterparts, such as Fino and Manzanilla, Oloroso undergoes a different ageing process that results in its unique flavour profile and robust character.
The production of Oloroso Sherry begins with the Palomino grape, the primary variety used in Sherry making. After fermentation, instead of developing the delicate flor yeast layer that characterises Fino and Manzanilla, Oloroso is aged in barrels without this protective layer. This allows for oxidative ageing, where the wine interacts with oxygen over time. The absence of flor leads to a richer, more intense flavour as the wine matures, developing notes of nuts, caramel, and dried fruits. This oxidative process also contributes to the wine's higher alcohol content and fuller body.
Oloroso Sherry boasts a complex flavour profile that includes rich notes of walnuts, toffee, figs, and dried plums, often complemented by subtle hints of spice and dark chocolate. Its texture is smooth and velvety, with a lingering finish highlighting its depth and sophistication. The wine typically exhibits higher acidity than other Sherry types, which helps balance its richness and prevents it from becoming overly sweet or cloying. This balance makes Oloroso an excellent choice for various culinary applications.
Regarding ageing, Oloroso Sherry is often matured using the Solera system, similar to other Sherry styles. However, it usually ages longer, sometimes exceeding 20 years, to fully develop its intricate flavours and aromas. This extended ageing process enhances the wine's complexity and ensures consistency in quality. Additionally, Oloroso can be blended with Amontillado Sherry to create a more nuanced and balanced final product, combining the oxidative characteristics of Oloroso with the subtlety of Amontillado.
Oloroso Sherry is exceptionally versatile regarding food pairings. Its robust flavours make it an ideal companion for hearty dishes such as roasted meats, stews, and game. It also pairs beautifully with strong cheeses like Manchego or blue cheese and rich desserts like chocolate torte or nut-based sweets. Served slightly below room temperature, around 16-18°C (61-64°F), Oloroso Sherry provides a luxurious and memorable addition to any meal, showcasing the rich winemaking heritage of Andalusia.
Palomino Fino
Palomino, named after Fernan Yanez Palomonio, one of King Alfonso X`s knights, is the primary grape variety for Sherry styles (Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso, Palo Cortado) production.
It is a high yielding variety that is widely planted in Spain producing mostly insipid thin, dull wines lacking in fruit and acidity. However it thrives on the predominantly chalk based soils of Cadiz where it produces large bunches of golden yellow grapes, which ripen in early September. The resulting must is transparent in colour and somewhat neutral in flavour, but the subsequent wine can develop a coating of flor before maturing in the solera system and produce a whole range of intense and aromatic sherries.
It is also grown in South Africa, California, and Australia where it is fortified to make sherry-style wines.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Stockholder Don Jaun García Jarana runs this 100-year-old bodega as a hobby, his 300 butts including Finos, Amontillados and Olorosos. His main business is as proprietor of a company called Two Wheels, importing Japanese motorcycles. Despite the apparent lack of synergy, or maybe because of it, his Olorosos are widely acclaimed. Dark in colour with aromas of dried fruits, this is a rich and concentrated wine. An Oloroso (meaning “fragrant” in Spanish) from the oldest solera; this would be equally at home with the game or the cheese board.
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