The secret of Sherry lies in its ageing and blending. To produce either a Fino from El Puerto de Santa Maria, or an Amontillado or Oloroso, blends will be made from many different sherries taken from a variety of casks which contain wines of diverse ages. A group of casks containing the same wine is called a “Solera”.
Blending is not only a part of the job, it is an art in which all the senses are used, especially the nose. In the laboratory, small quantities of wine from different soleras will be mixed in a test tube to develop a “cabeceo” (blend). It is decided at the same time what quantity of alcohol will be necessary to add to the wine before bottling. Once a successful blend has been created, sufficient quantities will be prepared for bottling and commercialization.
Manuel Lozano, the “capataz”, leads the bodega team at Lustau, and is responsible for maintaining the high quality standards established for each blend. The team decides which sherries will make up a blend and monitor how every individual cask is developing. The wine is produced quite naturally, and it is the team´s task to ensure that nature receives all possible assistance.
