Bodegas Lustau, 3 En Rama, Manzanilla, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain (2023 Release)
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.
Manzanilla Sherry
Manzanilla Sherry is a distinctive and highly prized style of Sherry that originates exclusively from the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain. This unique Sherry is renowned for its light, delicate character and its refreshing, saline qualities, which are a direct result of the region’s maritime climate. The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean imparts subtle salty notes to the wine, setting Manzanilla apart from other Sherry styles produced in the nearby Jerez and El Puerto de Santa María regions.
The production of Manzanilla Sherry begins with the Palomino grape, the dominant variety used in Sherry making. After fermentation, the wine is fortified to a higher alcohol level, typically around 15-15.5%, and then aged under a layer of flor yeast. Unlike Oloroso Sherry, which undergoes oxidative ageing without flor, Manzanilla is aged in the cool, humid conditions of Sanlúcar’s coastal bodegas. The unique microclimate encourages the growth of a particularly fine and persistent flor layer, which protects the wine from excessive oxidation and imparts distinctive flavours. This flor creates a biological filter, allowing the wine to develop its characteristic lightness and aromatic complexity.
Manzanilla Sherry is celebrated for its bright and vibrant flavour. It typically exhibits aromas of green almonds, citrus fruits, and a subtle hint of sea breeze, reflecting its maritime origins. Manzanilla is exceptionally dry and crisp on the palate, with a fresh acidity that balances its subtle nuttiness and saline notes. The wine’s light body and delicate texture make it incredibly refreshing, often described as having a slightly bitter finish that enhances its overall elegance and complexity. This refined profile makes Manzanilla an excellent aperitif, perfect for starting a meal.
The ageing process of Manzanilla Sherry is integral to its unique character. Aged using the Solera system, Manzanilla is carefully blended with younger wines to maintain consistency and quality over time. The flor yeast plays a crucial role during ageing, contributing to the wine’s distinctive freshness and preventing it from becoming too oxidised. Typically aged for at least three years, some Manzanillas may undergo longer ageing periods to develop more nuanced flavours while retaining their signature lightness and aromatic purity.
Regarding food pairings, Manzanilla Sherry is exceptionally versatile. Its crisp and saline qualities make it an ideal match for various dishes, particularly seafood and shellfish such as oysters, prawns, and sashimi. It also complements light tapas, including olives, almonds, and fresh cheeses like Manchego. Manzanilla’s refreshing acidity and subtle complexity make it a delightful accompaniment to salads, vegetable dishes, and even certain poultry preparations. Served chilled at around 10-12°C (50-54°F), Manzanilla Sherry offers a sophisticated and elegant addition to any dining experience, embodying the refined winemaking traditions of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
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
This is a gorgeous, bone-dry Sherry from the unique climate of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a coastal town which lends the wine an undeniable hint of the ocean. It also contributes to the development of thick flor, giving the wine delicacy and notes of salted almonds and floral chamomile. There are aromas of sea breeze, olive brine and yeast. On the palate, delicate flor notes intertwine with lemon balm, oystery shell and a touch of nuttiness. The texture is lively, with a crisp, refreshing acidity culminating in a long, graceful finish with lingering notes of almonds and hazelnuts. Enjoy it with ceviche or oysters.
Ready to drink now
Katie Merry, Assistant Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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