Lustau Puerto Fino Solera Reserva El Puerto de Santa María

The nose is salty, with toasted nuts and chalky minerality. Pungent flavors, briny, tangy, yeasty and nutty, appear on the palate. According to the producer’s notes, the Puerto Fino sees a double share of time under flor in cask, and that is certainly evident in the wine. While very good, and in fact my preference over any number of other finos in the price range, the thing that makes this wine special for me is more how well it pairs. Put it up against food that’s been deep fried, especially seafood, and oh, my! The wine cuts through the richness like a sword and the flavors marry beautifully. That’s not its only excellence, of course, just one possibility. In short, this sherry’s genius only becomes fully evident with food. Proper pairing will catapult the wine straight into the “memorable sensations” category and cause the wine to seem a bargain even if it somehow cost twice the relatively modest price it actually does.