Lustau Light Fino Jarana

Lustau Light Fino Jarana is a fino, the driest and palest style of fortified wine. Finos like this are typically made from Palomino and aged under a film of flor yeast, which keeps the wine pale and adds a savory edge. Expect a bone-dry wine with a pale straw color and a nose of almond, green apple, chamomile, and a briny, yeasty note. The palate is usually light-bodied and sharply dry, with brisk acidity and no perceptible tannin or oak sweetness. The finish is typically saline and nutty, with a faint bitter-almond snap. The "Light" in the name points to a leaner, more delicate expression of the style. The listing gives no ABV, so check the label for the exact strength. Fino sherries generally sit well above table wine, around 15 percent. Serve it cold, about 7 to 9°C (45 to 48°F), straight from the refrigerator or after 30 minutes in an ice bucket. Don't decant it. Finos are meant to be fresh and a little reductive, and air only dulls the flor character. A standard white wine glass works, or a tulip-shaped copita if you have one. Both concentrate the aromas without letting the wine warm too quickly. Pour modest measures, about 90 to 120 ml, so each stays cold. This is a drink-now bottle, not one for cellaring. Fino is at its best soon after bottling, when the almond and yeast notes are lively. Once opened, treat it like a delicate white wine: recork it, keep it in the refrigerator, and finish it within a few days to a week before it flattens and darkens. The dryness and salinity make fino a natural partner for salty, fatty, or fried foods. Good matches include Marcona almonds, green olives, jamón or other cured ham, anchovies on toast, and aged Manchego. It also suits fried fish, calamari, prawns with garlic, and raw oysters. Dishes that are very sweet, heavily spiced, or built on red meat will overpower it. As an aperitif, a chilled glass with a few salted nuts or olives is enough.