February 28th-Unfortified Pedro Ximénez

Pedro Ximénez is a white grape that is synonymous with fortified brown syrupy PX Sherry from Andalucía, Spain. It also likely originates from this region. Far less common are wines that are made using this grape that are lighter colored and unfortified. To make PX Sherry, the grapes are harvested then left to dry in the sun to concentrate their high sugar content. When making still wines, harvest can be delayed to allow for increased sugar accumulation while the grapes are on the vine. This decreases the acid as sugar levels rise, as well as decreasing the water content. These wines are lower in alcohol compared to fortified wines, but have the potential to be high compared to other still wines. The amount of alcohol is dependent on when fermentation is stopped and desired amount of remaining sugar in the final wine. They are also low acid. 

The wine I drank this week is a 2022 Ximénez-Spínola Exceptional Harvest Pedro Ximénez. Ximénez-Spínola is a 9th generation grower/producer. The winery also produces brandy and PX Sherry. The wine on the left is a fortified PX Sherry which has undergone extensive aging where it was exposed to oxygen. This created a concentrated, syrupy, brown wine that can be sipped or, as I prefer, used as a topping to rocky road ice cream. The wine on the right is this week’s wine, a medium lemon colored liquid. It has intense aromas of Meyer lemon, blanched almonds, jasmine, honeysuckle, glazed raised donut and white plums. This full bodied, moderate alcohol wine has a fresh acidity that balances its off dry character. There are flavors of yellow raisins and baking spices on the palate in addition to the aforementioned aromatics, all of which linger on the palate for a long finish. This wine does get aged in old American oak barrels, which provides some color. American oak has looser grains than French oak, which increases oxygen exposure. This can slightly decrease the time wine needs to age in barrel to get the desired oxidative effect during the aging process. The barrels do not add flavor to the wine because they are older. New American oak is known to impart more coconut compared to French oak that imparts more subtle vanilla flavor. This wine is unique and very enjoyable! I would pair this wine slightly chilled with a creamy seafood dish, like crab alfredo, as an aperitif, or with a cheese plate following dinner.