NV Emilio Lustau - Jerez East India Solera Cream Sherry (750ml)

Emilio Lustau began in 1896 as an almacenista, a small-scale producer aging wine for sale to larger Jerez shippers, before the family launched its own brands in the mid-twentieth century. Rather than chasing volume, the house has always prioritized quality and rarity, building some of the oldest soleras in the region, and today it produces the full spectrum of Sherry styles from the driest Finos to its richest dessert wines. East India Solera belongs to that latter category, reviving a style that dates back centuries.

The wine takes its name from the East India Company's trading ships, which once carried barrels of Sherry as ballast on long voyages to Asia. Over the transatlantic and tropical journey, sailors noticed the constant motion, heat, and humidity left the wine noticeably smoother and more complex, and the style became prized before steamships made the practice obsolete. Lustau recreates those conditions today by holding the wine in a warmer, more humid corner of its cellars. This bottling blends roughly 80 percent Oloroso with 20 percent Pedro Ximénez, each aged separately in its own solera for about twelve years before the two are married and aged together for three more.

The finished wine shows a dark mahogany color with a green-amber edge. Aromas of maple syrup, brown sugar, raisin, and chocolate lead into a rich, smooth palate of prune and burnt orange peel, with spice and nuttiness balanced by real acidity through a long finish. Serve it slightly chilled alongside foie gras, creamy cheeses, or simple desserts.