NV Emilio Lustau - Manzanilla Papirusa Manzanilla Sherry (750ml)

Bodegas Lustau traces its roots to 1896, when José Ruiz-Berdejo began cultivating vines outside Jerez de la Frontera and aging wine as an almacenista, selling his soleras to larger shippers. His son-in-law, Emilio Lustau Ortega, took over the business and in 1945 began releasing it under the family's name, including the Papirusa label. The house merged with the Luis Caballero Group in 1990 and remains the only sherry producer with operations in all three towns of the Sherry Triangle.

Papirusa is a Manzanilla, made from Palomino grapes and aged in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, the coastal town at the mouth of the Guadalquivir river. The cool, humid sea air there encourages a thick layer of flor, a native yeast that blankets the wine in barrel and shields it from oxidation during biological aging in the solera system. This maritime influence is what gives Manzanilla its salinity and delicacy.

In the glass this Manzanilla is pale straw yellow with a bone-dry, crisp character. The nose carries chamomile and sea breeze with a light yeasty tang, while the palate stays light and tense with a touch of sea salt and a clean finish. Serve it chilled with olives, almonds, or fresh seafood.