Pedro Ximénez, a dark nectar to discover...

Pedro Ximénez, a dark nectar to discover…

Pedro Ximénez is an unique extraordinary and unrepeatable wine, dense and dark, with caramel and dates scents, dried fruits and chocolate, sweet and mellow.
It takes its name from the grape variety used, which is left to sun-dry for winemaking with the Solera-Criaderas method.

The high quality is due to the nature of where Pedro Ximénez is produced: harsh and windy wheather, and the famous albarizas (the white lands), a chalky and ivory soil.
These combination of adverse climate, actually favor grapevines to enrich berries with sugars and acids, making them perferct for long aging.

It can rest for decades in barrels before bottling!

Perfect with desserts rich in structure, cocoa and dried fruits, this PX is the most suitable to accompany even chocolate, but it manages to best express its extraordinary character as it is.

Tasting a sip of this black syrup, thick and shiny, essence of such a long blend, gives real emotions!

What is the Soleras-Criaderas method?

The criaderas y solera method is essential for making one of the best known fortified wine: Pedro Ximénez.

The composition of the white chalky soil albariza plays an important role, because it favors the production of wines rich in acidity, perfect for fortification and the typical oxidative aging.

The harsh and warm wind that comes from the Mediterranean sea dries the ripening grapes and gives a balance between sugars and acids. Furthermore, this wind mixes the fresh and moisty that comes from the Atlantic Ocean, which favor the growth of Saccharomyces beticus, called in Spanish Flor. It is this yeast that makes the particular tastes and the unique aromas of Sherry.
The role of Flor consists in creating a thin cover inside the oak barrel able to protect the wine from external agents and, above all, it is able to exchange the correct amount of oxigen between the wine and air.

Moreover, the grape variety is important for a good aging with the criaderas y solera system. Palomino, moscatel and pedro ximénez are the most usable grapes. Even though, the most suitable for controlled oxidation is the first variety, we will focus on the last, since, it’s from pedro ximénez that comes the namesake wine.

After the harvest of the grapes, berries are let sun dried and then the vinification can begin.

Lastly, wine is aged in American oak barrels and using the criaderas y solera system.
However, before an expert classifies each barrels with some signs, called raja:

1 raja allocates a wine with a fortification up to 15% of ethylic alcohol per volume, these are wines like Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado;
1 raja and 1 dot allocate wines with a fortification up to 17.5% Vol., and are wines like Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez;
2 rajas are for wines to reclassify;
3 rajas are for distillation wines, in order to produce Brandy for instance.

Flor forming during aging in criadera-solera method

Only the first 2 classifications will be selected to age!

Anyway, based on the principle that the younger wine acquires the character and qualities of the older ones. In practical terms, the system consists of a series of almost full barrels, each of these called escala, containing the wine of a particular average age, and the oldest escala is called solera, since when the escalas are placed one above the other, this is located further down and in contact with the ground (suelo in Spanish).
The escalas above the soleras are called criaderas. The number of escalas varies according to the type of wine, usually from five to even fourteen.
Every year the wine of the solera is taken, an operation that takes the name of saca and bottled. The part of wine withdrawn is filled with the wine from the first criadera, this with the wine from the second criadera, and so on, up to the last criadera.
The wine of the last criadera is filled with the wines of the sobretablas. The filling operations are called rocio. The skill consists in making the saca and rocios in small quantities so as not to damage the quality and characteristics of the entire system, the result of an uninterrupted process lasting even centuries. By law, a maximum of 30% of the volume of the solera can be withdrawn each year.

This method allows to keep the quality and character of the wine (Pedro Ximénez) or distillate (Brandy) constant over time. In fact, the products matured with this system never show the vintage on their labels.

Try it with some alkekengi dipped in dark chocolate!

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Pedro Ximénez wine takes its name from the grape variety used in its production method. Grapes are let sun-dried for the winemaking, following the Soleras-Criaderas system. An unique wine, extraordinary and unrepeatable. Its quality is given by the nature of the terroir: albarizas (the white lands), by the sunny weather, low amount of rain and an unique combination of winds.

Grapevine: Pedro Ximénez and Zalema.
Color: limpid, cloudy, dark mahogany.
Aroma: intense, sweet, liqueur scent, very fragrant.
Taste: unctuous and very elegant, with a long lasting after tasting persistence. It pairs perfectly with high percentage of dark chocolate bars, cakes like Sacher.
Serving Temperature: between 14°C and 16°C, in wide wine glass to exalt its scents.
Pairing: perfect with sweet and pies made of chocolate, or for meditation.

Pedro Ximénez Naranja takes its name from the grape variety used in its production method. Grapes are let sun-dried for the winemaking, following the Soleras-Criaderas system. Moreover, the addition of few bitter orange (naranja) rinds gives citrus scent and aftertaste to the wine. An unique wine, extraordinary and unrepeatable. Its quality is given by the nature of the terroir: albarizas (the white lands), by the sunny weather, low amount of rain and an unique combination of winds.

Grapevine: Pedro Ximénez and Zalema.
Color: limpid, cloudy, dark mahogany.
Aroma: intense, sweet, liqueur scent, very fragrant.
Taste: unctuous and very elegant, with a long lasting after tasting persistence. The perception of a neat scent and aftertaste of orange creates a perfect and excellent pair with high percentage dark chocolate bars, and cakes like Sacher.
Serving Temperature: between 14°C and 16°C, in wide wine glass to exalt its scents.
Pairing: perfect with sweet and pies made of chocolate, or for meditation.