San Emilio is Lustau’s standard Pedro Ximénez from the Solera Reserva range. Pedro Ximénez grapes are sun-dried on estera mats, fermentation is arrested with grape spirit, and the resulting wine — extraordinarily sweet, dark and glycerol-rich — is aged in old American oak butts in the Lustau cellars.
The colour is a deep mahogany-brown, dense and opaque. The nose is immediately expressive: crystallised figs, dark raisins, dates, caramel and a warming spice note — clove, cinnamon — that adds complexity. The palate is rich and syrupy, with natural acidity preventing the sweetness from becoming satiating. Dried fruit, dark chocolate and a long, warm finish. A wine that rewards both contemplation and indulgence, and one of the finest value expressions of Pedro Ximénez at any price level.