NV Emilio Lustau - Jerez Escuadrilla Rare Amontillado Sherry

Emilio Lustau was founded in 1896 by Don José Ruiz-Berdejo, who began as an Almacenista, cultivating vines on his estate outside Jerez de la Frontera and selling wine to larger exporting bodegas. The company grew through the twentieth century into one of the most respected sherry houses in Jerez, known for blending tradition with innovation while sourcing exceptional stocks from small holders across the region.

Escuadrilla is made entirely from Palomino grapes and named in tribute to the Air Force squadron in which Emilio Lustau once served. The wine ages first under a protective layer of flor for roughly four years, developing the delicate character typical of a young Amontillado, before spending about eight additional years aging oxidatively inside the historic Bodega Emperatriz Eugenia. This two stage process, biological followed by oxidative, is what defines the Amontillado style and builds its layered complexity over more than a decade.

The finished wine shows a bright amber color with golden hints, along with intense aromas of smoky wood and toasted nuts built up through years in the bodega. The palate is dry and elegant, closing with a long, spicy finish. It makes a fine aperitif and also pairs well with artichokes, consommés, cured or smoked meats, and richly flavored seafood.