Oloroso Añada 1997 (Lustau)

Vintage sherries or añadas are rare – they go against the regular flow of the solera system. Some of them are even produced quite differently and come closer to port wine than they do to other sherries. I’ll come back to this in a specific article about vintage sherry.

The Lustau Añada 1997 is the youngest of the Lustau vintages so far (after 1989 and 1990). It was made from grapes cultivated in their Montegilillo vineyard, set in the Carrascal area (North of Jerez) and matured in American oak for more than 13 years until it was bottled in December 2010. It received a gold medal at the 2013 IWC competition and silver at the IWSC.

The Añada 1997 is a limited release of 14.000 numbered bottles

The label of this sherry says Rich Oloroso abocado. Abocado means smooth and it usually indicates that the (originally dry) Oloroso wine has been sweetened by the addition of some Pedro Ximénez after maturation. In this case however, it indicates that the grapes were partly dried in the sun before pressing (soleo) and that the fermentation wasn’t completed – during the fermentation process, the must was strengthened to around seventeen degrees in order to retain part of its natural sugars. These partially fermented wines will develop into a kind of naturally sweet Oloroso (or a kind of Port wine if you like, which is made in the same way).

Oloroso abocado Añada 1997
(20,5%, Lustau 2010, 14.000 btl.)

Nose: intense dried fruits (especially figs and dates) with a particular aroma of toasted wood and even freshly laid tar. Sultanas and toffee. Candied orange. Whiffs of eucalyptus, floral honey and damp cellars. Hints of herbal syrup. Rather great.

Mouth: Sweet, but not sticky in any way, it feels very natural. Surprisingly spicy as well. Mainly pepper. Hints of ripe tropical fruits and molasses. Honey coated nuts. Toasted bread. Hints of cedar oak, walnut cake, cocoa and an overwhelming peppery / gingery warmth in the finish.

Availability: difficult to find, especially outside of Spain. Around €25-30 for a 50cl bottle.

Summary: An excellent wine, a bit of a hybrid between Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez and Port wine. Some unique aromas on the nose and a firm spicy edge on the palate. Very complex yet so easy to drink! Recommended.

4

Very good

Tags: 1997, 20.5%, Abocado, Añada, Carrascal, Lustau, Oloroso, Vintage sherry

About the Author

Ruben is a Certified Sherry Educator who fell in love with sherry some 25 years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at www.whiskynotes.be