WTN: Pedro Ximenez

Warm up:

• N.V. Emilio Lustau (Almacenista) Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Palo Cortado Almacenista Vides - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry (6/16/2008)
  Nutty and rancioed, a bit rubbery, with a slightly and pleasantly bitter herbal edge. Very intense and powerful and dry. Long and very nice.
• Gonzalez-Byass Matusalem Oloroso Dulce Muy Viejo 30yo
  Smelled of rye bread. Not a good bottle.
• N.V. Emilio Lustau Jerez-Xérès-Sherry East India Solera - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry (6/16/2008)
  Sweet, raisiny and simple. Well balanced and a fun little Sherry, but quite one dimensional.

The PXs:

• N.V. Alvear Pedro Ximénez Montilla-Moriles Solera 1830 - Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles (6/16/2008)
  Bottled 2004; apparently only 11,5% abv - mistake on the label or can it really be so? It is dark and peachy; intensely sugary, oily, very weighty - nice enough in an uncomplicated way but more one-dimensional than most other PXs tonight.
• N.V. Alvear Pedro Ximénez Montilla-Moriles Solera 1927 - Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles (6/16/2008)
  Very peachy and tropically fruity nose, not as dark and motor-oil like as the other PXs tonight but rather an almost elegant (though that word just cannot be used with this style) wine in comparison. Huge sweetness but still a less extreme style than the others tonight. Nice!
• 1971 Bodegas Toro Albala Montilla-Moriles Don PX Gran Reserva - Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles (6/16/2008)
  For this style of wine, I found the scent to be wonderfully refreshing as it not only had a huge sweetness but also a medicinal/herbal savoury quality, too. It was like a Belgian Trappist in its mix of sweetness and herbaceousness, but also had a lovely green tea scent. Perhaps marginally less super-sweet than the other PXs tonight (which was nice), and it had better acidity, too. Very enjoyable.
• N.V. Alvaro Domecq Jerez-Xérès-Sherry 1730 Pedro Ximenez - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry (6/16/2008)
  From the nose, I was expecting a slightly more savoury style of PX since it had some lovely tobacco and green tea notes, but the palate was maybe the densest, oiliest, sweetest and most cloying of the bunch! Fun in an extreme style.
• N.V. Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Noé - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry (6/16/2008)
  Massively tarry and raisiny nose - quite overwhelming. Excessively sweet, huge, sweet - I thought this lacked the savoury notes that the best PXs IMO have.
• N.V. Osborne Pedro Ximénez Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Rare Sherry Pedro Ximénez Viejo - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry (6/16/2008)
  This was to me the ideal of what PX should strive to be. Very dense and powerfully sweet, but it also has a strong note of earth and tobacco. Huge and sweet, but earthy and structured so it isn't as one-dimensional as PX so often is. Long, savoury and sweet and even salty (!) aftertaste. Lovely.

Posted from CellarTracker

What! No Lustau PX?

Must have been an interesting tasting. I don't think I've had more than 1 or 2 PXs at the same time, and I usually have a hard time finding things to say about them besides "thick, rich, dark, and sweet." But, it sounds like you discerned some real differences.

And 'peach' is an interesting descriptor for PX. Will have to look for that. Sounds almost like riesling or chenin

Sorry Sue, can't have everything!

Must have been an interesting tasting. I don't think I've had more than 1 or 2 PXs at the same time, and I usually have a hard time finding things to say about them besides "thick, rich, dark, and sweet." But, it sounds like you discerned some real differences.

And 'peach' is an interesting descriptor for PX. Will have to look for that. Sounds almost like riesling or chenin

I was worried that such an extreme style wouldn't really show much differences - but I am happy to say that my worries were unfounded. Of course it helps that I do rather have a sweet tooth and that such super sweeties are a guilty pleasure of mine - but one that I can't really justify liking considering my usual tastes in wines. I think the older and lighter styles can have a tropical fruit / peach aroma, but the one I really like is the green tea and tobacco. But descriptors are so personal that it's maybe not a good idea to get too hung up on the "peach" - how about it displayed some perfumed top notes so wasn't all about the massive darkness?

-O

I was worried that such an extreme style wouldn't really show much differences - but I am happy to say that my worries were unfounded. Of course it helps that I do rather have a sweet tooth and that such super sweeties are a guilty pleasure of mine

Oh I love the wines as well (and usually want to drink as much of them as I can) and I can usually distinguish between varying levels of coarseness, thickness, and syrupyness. But, perhaps one day I'll sit down with a selection and see what else I find.

You're a better man than I. Otto. The idea of that many PXs at once sets my teeth on edge.

I wonder how many of them are made to be drunk as is, as opposed to being used for blending? Do you know?

The '71 Toro Albala is amazing, and now almost impossible to find. The 1972 is not far behind, and a lot easier to source in big ass 750 bottles for around $30 or so...

I love PX! Prefer them to Port.

You're a better man than I. Otto. The idea of that many PXs at once sets my teeth on edge.

Indeed. In fact two in a row is too much for me. My ideal PX experience is a single 3/4 ounce pour!

You're a better man than I. Otto. The idea of that many PXs at once sets my teeth on edge.

Indeed. In fact two in a row is too much for me. My ideal PX experience is a single 3/4 ounce pour!

Blasphemy!!!!

You're a better man than I. Otto. The idea of that many PXs at once sets my teeth on edge.

I wonder how many of them are made to be drunk as is, as opposed to being used for blending? Do you know?

Armed with lots of cured meats and cheeses (i.e. salt) and a sweet tooth it was actually a very pleasant tasting and not as difficult as it sounds (small pours, too). But what do you mean "used for blending"? As in the way some like to put PX on chèvre or vanilla ice-cream or in the practice of blending it with palomino? I have no idea. But I think these old PXs are meant as desserts to be sipped in small quantities. I like them with salty nibbles or a cigar.

-O

Thanks Otto for the informative notes. I should try the Osborne some time. So far, Domecq Venerable has been my house PX. Ever tried it? Another big & rich boy, yet the best balanced I have come across so far.

As for alcohol in PX, this is a well known paradox, which I have yet to understand. How come the dry oxidative sherries increase over time (fino also decreases appearently - the flor consumes alcohol), yet the sweet ones like PX and Moscatel decrease. Jesus Barquin once tried to explain it to me. I think the explanation has to do with the volitility of alc. which is higher than that of water, so in an open vessel, alc decreases more than water evaporates. Now, PX is of course kept in a cask, but maybe not a full one. The extreme viscosity of PX on the other hand may stop water from escaping through the cask walls, which is not the case for dry sherries. Does this make any sense? I don't know...

Peter

One should not forget that within the D.O. Montilla-Moriles, 99% of what is planted is, in fact, Pedro Ximenez. The grape gives just about any type of "sherry": Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, and (of course!) PX. There's another difference to Jerez: Montilla-Moriles wines, in general, are not fortified.

I'd like to put together a tasting of oxidative styles, including a Puffeney vin jaune, a Radikon Ribolla Gialla, a de Concilis Antece, and... a sherry. I know zip about sherry, so would greatly appreciate a suggestion of what grape/style/brand might be compatible (i.e., dry?) with such a tasting.

I'd like to put together a tasting of oxidative styles, including a Puffeney vin jaune, a Radikon Ribolla Gialla, a de Concilis Antece, and... a sherry. I know zip about sherry, so would greatly appreciate a suggestion of what grape/style/brand might be compatible (i.e., dry?) with such a tasting.

Not PX

You're a better man than I. Otto. The idea of that many PXs at once sets my teeth on edge.

I wonder how many of them are made to be drunk as is, as opposed to being used for blending? Do you know?

Armed with lots of cured meats and cheeses (i.e. salt) and a sweet tooth it was actually a very pleasant tasting and not as difficult as it sounds (small pours, too). But what do you mean "used for blending"? As in the way some like to put PX on chèvre or vanilla ice-cream or in the practice of blending it with palomino? I have no idea. But I think these old PXs are meant as desserts to be sipped in small quantities. I like them with salty nibbles or a cigar.

-O

I thought that PX was primarily used for making other wines sweet (ie Oloroso for the English-style Oloroso/Cream Sherry), rather than drinking by itself.