Emilio Lustau East India Solera Sherry, NV

The price tag on the bottle (I bought it in 2018) reads $9.99, but the pleasures of smell and taste it conjures up in me reads $99.99 or more. This wine exemplifies the solera system in which a barrel that was started decades ago is refreshed regularly with new juice as small quantities of the old wine are removed. Considering the complexity of this bottle, the average age in the solera must be very, very old.

Light amber color. Powerful and complex. Figs, roasted nuts, brown sugar, citrus zest, toffee and much, much more. Sweet and satisfying but not at all cloying. Finishes with complex flavors that continue to resonate for several minutes.