Lustau Pedro Ximenez San Emilio Sherry

Bodegas Lustau was founded in 1896 by Mr. José Ruiz-Berdejo. It was a modest beginning: José, a courtclerk, cultivated the vines on his land, known as Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza. In the house at the vineyard, he produced the wines he later sold to the major exporting wineries. He was a “Almacenista"�.

His son-in-law Emilio Lustau Ortega moved the winery to the old neighbourhood of Santiago, in the historic quarter of Jerez de la Frontera. There, in buildings that formed part of the historic Moorish walls of the city, he slowly began to expand the business, still as a “Almacenista"�. In 1950, the company began exporting its own sherry wines.

In the 1970s, the company continued its expansion. From the beginning of the 1980s, under the management of Rafael Balao, it became one of the most innovative companies in Jerez. Rafael Balao sensed that Lustau had to be at the forefront of quality. His ideas of combining tradition and innovation paved the way for identifying Lustau with quality and prestige.

In 1988 Lustau took another innovative step by introducing a new bottle design for its wines. The elegant, dark bottle with sloping shoulders is exclusive to the company, distinguishing Lustau from the other Jerez wineries.

1n 1990, Emilio Lustau S.A. was acquired by the renowned company, Luis Caballero, producer of liquors and spirits. This gave Lustau important financial support and the opportunity to develop and expandfurther. The Montegilillo and Las Cruces vineyards, both located in the área known as Jerez Superior, were in corporated into the Lustau assets.

In June 2000, Lustau acquired six 19th-century winemaking buildings in the heart of Jerez, covering a total area of 20,000m2. These buildings were restored and today they are the company's primary winemaking facilities.

Lustau's philosophy has remained the same since its inception in 1896: the pursuit of the highest quality in order to offer the market the widest and finest range of sherry. In recent years, Lustau has been honoured and recognised with several awards; it was named "Best Spanish Producer" in Vintage_2011 at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London. In Vintage_2012, it was the winningest winery in Spain and 7th worldwide. Lustau oenologist, Manuel Lozano, has been named Best Fortified Winemaker of the Year seven years in a row by the International Wine Challenge of London.

The Solera Familiar Range of sherries from Lustau originates in the old soleras founded by Emilio Lustau early in his career as a Almacenista. All varieties of sherry are represented in this range: from the lightest Finos and Manzanillas, to the more full-bodied wines like Olorosos and Palo Cortados, not to mention sweet selections like Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez.

This Pedro Ximénez sherry is made from 100% PX grapes which are laid out in the sun after picking until they are practically raisins. After fermentation, the wine is aged in American oak cask in the traditional 'Solera y Criaderas' system.

Tasting Notes
Ebony in colour with iodine highlights. The aromas are reminiscence of figs and raisins in the nose. Enormously sweet, velvety and soft on the palate, well balanced, with a very long finish.

Serve slightly chilled, between 10-12ºC with rich desserts, cakes and pastries, or pour over vanilla ice cream. Perfect companion for strong blue cheeses. Ideal as a digestive.