Añada 2000 (Lustau)
This wine is from a pair of sweet wines that Bodegas Lustau released in July 2017. The Añada 2000 and Añada 1998 are two vintage sherries which replaced the previous 1997 vintage.
They belong to the category of Dulce or naturally sweet sherry. Contrary to Medium / Cream sherry, it is not a blend of different styles / grapes. The wine is made from Palomino grapes picked late. They are overripe but not soleadas (left to dry in the sun). The wine is then matured in an Oloroso-style, the fermentation is halted early through fortification over 18%. This preserves some of the natural sugars in the grape juice, resulting in about 210 grams per litre in the end product. To a certain extent it resembles the production of Moscatel and PX wines, but for Palomino grapes Lustau is the only bodega producing this style.
Lustau is the only bodega producing this naturally sweet style based on Palomino grapes
In the past this was called Rich Oloroso, but nowadays only dry wines can be called Oloroso. Being a vintage wine, it is aged in a static way in sealed barrels which previously contained Oloroso sherry.
The Añada 2000 is a limited edition of only 5.700 bottles which were exported entirely to the UK. Since 1989 Lustau is usually keeping aside around 18-20 butts of each harvest as a vintage wine, so there are more barrels of these wines in the bodega, which may be bottled at a later stage (but obviously leading to a evolved profile).
I can already tell you the 1998 (which was similar to the 1997) and 2000 are noticeably different. Each harvest has different parameters, even though the wines are produced in the same way. If you’re able to find both bottles, be sure to compare.
Añada 2000 (21%, Lustau 2017, Limited Edition, 50 cl)
Nose: a slightly brighter profile, with slightly more acidity. Raspberry and candied lemon peel. Behind this there are some tobacco leaves and a whiff of smoke. Fresh figs. Less of the floral top notes that you find in the 1998, but very impressive nonetheless.
Mouth: great acidity to balance the sweetness, very fresh. Raspberry, maybe even tangerines. Figs and dried apricots. Really great fruity notes, it’s only after a while that the classic peppery kick comes out, with honey and a little milk chocolate. The 1998 is certainly richer and darker on the palate (more toffee sweetness) but I love the higher acidity of the 2000.
Availability: around £ 20 in the UK. In Europe you can still find the Añada 1998.
Summary: The Añada 2000 is particularly vibrant, with a great balance of sweetness and acidity. This style is pretty unique in Jerez, but it's overtaking the majority of Medium and Cream sherries out there. If you're into sweet sherry, you should chase this Añada 2000.
4.5
Excellent
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
Related Posts
Canasta 20 Years VOS (Williams & Humbert) →
Visiting Williams & Humbert →
Denmark wins Copa Jerez 2023 →
