Marques de Irun is a small Bodega (winery in Spanish) owned by the famed Sherry house, Emilio Lustau. Rueda is one of the few areas in Spain that makes outstanding dry white wines from the local Verdejo grape. The tendency here is to blend the Verdejo with other varieties, like Sauvignon Blanc and Viura. However, it is the Verdejo variety that has extraordinary charm and complexity. Why spoil the charm by adding wine from other varieties? Marques de Irun/Lustau bottles a pure 100% Verdejo capturing the distinctive floral aromas and vibrant fruit that is making this variety more and more sought after.
Marques de Irun also produces a rich, meaty red Toro called Santuario. Aged in American oak, it shows great character, and sells for a song!?
Recent developments in the marketing of Lustau sherries has been the creation of a sales and export consortium which joins together with Lustau two other great Spanish wine producers, La Rioja Alta from the Rioja region and Vega Sicilia from Ribera del Duero. These three producers operate in partnership with Europvin, the fine wine specialist based in Bordeaux. The consortium also has offices in the USA and Japan.
The history of Lustau is both long and fascinating. What is now Emilio Lustau SA was founded by Don Jos? Ruiz-Berdejo y Veyan in 1896, an original Almacenista at Nuestra Se?ora de la Esperanza. Don Emilio Lustau Ortega, Berdejo's son-in-law, moved the bodegas to the ancient Santiago district in 1946. In 1950 the firm became Emilio Lustau SA, its size now enabling it to join the prestigious ranks of the select group of exporters of Sherry.
In 1980 Emilio Lustau SA comes under new management of the late Rafael Balao, one of the most creative companies in Sherry. In 1990 Luis Caballero SA takes a major shareholding in Lustau enabling development and expansion. Caballaro brings into Lustau 400 acres of fine Albariza vineyard land at Montegilillo in Sherry's Superior region and in 2001 they purchase a traditional Bodega? complex in Calle Arcos.? At this point Lustau now operates in Sherry from one central site.
Of course all this moving and shaking only improves the quality of the wines. If you haven't had a Verdejo yet, you won't believe your taste buds.
June 2009 Limited Series Newsletter (.pdf)
