Lustau East India Solera Sherry, bottled 1997

Lustau East India Solera Sherry 1997

From the back label:

"Trading ships sailing to the Indies in the 16th Century frequently carried casks of sweet Sherries lashed to their decks.

"After traveling through the tropics it was discovered that the heat and humidity had matured the wine to a great smoothness. The House of LUSTAU has recreated the same conditions for the ageing of their EAST INDIA SOLERAS and has thus revived this unique style.

"One of the rare Sherries that ages beautifully in bottle, East India Solera becomes rich, unctuous and remarkably smooth with wonderful flavours reminiscent of ripe figs and raisins."

Couldn't have said it better ourselves. "Rich, unctuous and remarkably smooth...wonderful flavours...ripe figs and raisins."

This is a fabulous sherry; we purchased this half-bottle a couple of years ago in Calgary (price: around $20) ostensibly for Margaret Anne's mother, who didn't get a taste of it until Saturday night's dinner. We have promised to only drink more of it when she's around.

We had it with dessert, which was nothing more complicated than iced cherries, and it went beautifully with the fruit. The nose was so rich that it made Ed think more of chocolate than anything else. Much more complex than Bristol Cream, the sherry probably people are most familiar with.

Highly recommended. At least 8/10.