Coppery topaz in colour. Vibrant nutty pecan aromas. Slightly bitter hints in the mouth, reminiscent of dark chocolate, with great length. Emilio Lustau is one of Spain's greatest Sherry bodegas and is named after Don Emilio Lustau Ortega who founded the family estate in 1896. Renowned for the quality of their Sherries, Emilio Lustau is probably best known for 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 bodegas name on the label as well. In addition to their standard range of wines the estate also produces a stellar range of limited edition and Solera Reserva sherries which are amongst the finest wines in the region. A stellar producer of this famous wine style.

Tasting Notes APPEARANCE The maturation in steel tanks gives garnet colour with elegant amber shades. AROMA Elegant, refined with intense bitter orange, hints of vanilla, gentian, floral and spicy notes such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves and with a clear perception of artemisia. PALATE Intense and harmonious. Red fruits, long and spicy persistence and pleasantly sweet final.

Quinta do Noval is the go to Port house for those who prefer VP in a more elegant guise. 1995 was a terrific year at Noval and now almost 20 years old, it is a beautifully balanced and supple wine with a lush, plump texture and smooth, round tannins. Intense flavours of plums, raisins and dark chocolate abound with a hint of secondary development now peaking through.

Traditionally, these wines are consumed with richer, chocolate-influenced desserts or enjoyed on their own after a meal.

Although there is more sweetness here—the 10 year old carries 90.4 g/L—the wines remain fresh and lively, with bright, clean acidity (6.0 g/l). Bual can be served both with rich meat-based dishes, or with fruity and nutty deserts, where the wine’s dried-fruit and barley sugar flavours pair particularly well. Also try with cheese, crème caramel, Portuguese custard tarts or tarte tartin.