Lustau Manzanilla Papirusa

Bodegas Lustau, founded in 1896, ages Papirusa in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, where the cool, humid Atlantic climate sustains a thick flor. The wine is made from Palomino Fino grown on the albariza chalk soils of the region. After a dry fermentation it is lightly fortified to around 15 per cent, the upper limit at which flor can survive, then aged about five years under that veil of yeast in part-filled butts through the criaderas and soleras. The flor seals the wine from oxygen and feeds on its glycerine and acetaldehyde, leaving it bone dry and saline while contributing the bready, almond-like character typical of biologically aged wines. Sanlúcar's coastal conditions give a thicker, longer-lived flor than inland Jerez, which is what gives Manzanilla its distinctive salinity. The colour is pale lemon, the nose shows almond, fresh dough and chamomile, and the palate is light, dry and saline with a clean, persistent finish. Serve well chilled at around 7 to 9 degrees in a white wine glass. It is a fine aperitif and a classic match for Iberian ham and seafood.