WTN: Lustau "Los Arcos" Dry Amontillado

[Robin Garr]

Emilio Lustau "Los Arcos" Dry Amontillado ($22.99)

Made from 100 percent Palomino grapes, the Los Arcos Amontillado shows a pretty, bright bronze color in the glass. Delicious walnut aromas with a hint of brown sugar fill the nose; walnuts and soft lemon flavors fill the mouth. This is a dry Sherry with no apparent sweetness, but its luscious medium-bodied nutty character framed by mouth-watering acidity offers a good example of what to expect in Amontillado. Its 18.5% alcohol is normal for Sherry if high for a table wine, but it's nevertheless smooth and approachable, without any discernible alcoholic burn. U.S. importer: Europvin USA, Van Nuys, Calif. (Oct. 31, 2019)

FOOD MATCH: It's commonplace to sip dry Sherry either as a before-dinner aperitif or with nuts or cheese after the meal. But our Spanish cousins aren't shy about pairing it with a range of foods. The Lustau website declares that "Los Arcos is the best partner for artichokes and green asparagus. Pair it with tapas, matured cheeses, nuts or serve it with soups, mushroom risottos or spiced dishes." The website also offers a recipe for this intriguing pairing: Baked Pumpkin And Chanterelle Risotto. I'd try that, especially with plenty of Halloween pumpkins still hanging around.

WHEN TO DRINK: Before you open the bottle, it should be fine for at least three years after you purchase it. Once the bottle has been opened, I advise finishing it off within a couple of weeks if left at room temperature or two to three months kept in the refrigerator.

VALUE:
The local retail priced dinged me for six bucks over Wine-Searcher.com's $17 average U.S. retail; in fact, Wine-Searcher reports many shops offering it from $12 to $14. I'm not crazy about that price, but since I live in one of the few states still too backward to allow online wine buying, I'd still pay it for a special Amontillado treat.

WEB LINK
Here's a winery fact sheet in English about Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado on Wine-Searcher.com.

Read more about Amontillado and browse dozens of other Amontillado labels and vendors on Wine-Searcher.com.

This was the first sherry I ever bought and drank, 15 years ago. I loved it and for some reason it reminded me of the Minutemen. Actually, I do know why. Both were a case of knowing something I weird and angular couldn't quite understand at the time.

I've always thought that Lustau is one of the best Sherry producers. Their main line of dry Sherries includes Fino ("Jarana"), Manzanilla ("Peninsula"), Amontillado ("Los Arcos") and Oloroso ("Don Nuno"). All of these are bone-dry and excellent examples of their type. They also have a lineup of wines from small lots that they buy from local artisanal producers (Almacenistas). They produce some sweet olorosos and a Moscato as well. And occasionally a vintage Palo Cortado or two. Years ago they also made limited quantities of Tintilla de Rota, a sweet red Sherry. I still have a few bottles of that.

-Paul W.

Lustau fan here too, good access in AB.