nv Alvear, Pedro Ximénez, Solera 1927, Sweet Sherry Style Wine, Montilla-Moriles, Spain.
The deeply brown/amber hued Solar 1927 Pedro Ximénez dessert Sherry style wine by Bodegas Alvear is one of the greatest sweet food wines in the world and was perfect with homemade pecan pie and hand whipping cream, and it is awesome dripped over vanilla bean ice cream as well, with its golden raisins, caramel, walnut liqueur, molasses and candied/caramelized orange rind layers. While intense and sticky rich in sweetness, this PX is wonderfully balanced and complex with fig and pecan coming through along with some light oxidative notes, burnt sugar or maple, coco powder and acidity making it perfect for after dinner sipping, a little goes a long way, especially with such a captivating finish and length. The winery is located in Montilla, in the D.O. Montilla-Moriles, and the vineyards are located on the hills of the Sierra de Montilla and on the classic Albariza, a calcium carbonate rich and chalky soil and underpinned by a soft marlstone, all adding to the terroir influence and concentration found here. I have long been a fan of these Alvear wines and have enjoyed many a bottle of their Pedro Ximénez, especially their fantastic Solera 1927, which never fails to impress, plus they have been experimenting with some still wines and sparkling wine collaborations in recent years.
The Alvear Pedro Ximénez Solera 1927 is non-vintage, built up over the years with the best reserves, but does have some 1927, which is referenced as the original selection to create this ever changing beauty, though the winery has perfected the selections and every time you get this bottling it is outstanding and maybe the best version of PX on the planet, consistently over delivering and a fabulous value. The Alvear Pedro Ximénez is made through drying the ripe Pedro Ximénez grapes on mats in the sun and then wine is aged in the traditional earthenware jars, “Tinajas”, where it is left for 12 months to mature, with fortification on the young wine done with grape spirit, before selections are made to be blended to various cuvées and or added to older solera casks, as was done here to great effect. The young wine adds freshness to the dark brown aged Pedro Ximénez, which brings historic depth and nutty complexity, with Alvear masterfully pulling lots and bottling excellent examples for hedonistic enjoyment. Alvear’s wines are all made exclusively from 100% Pedro Ximénez grapes and vines, whose historical origins, interestingly, almost certainly can be traced back to ancient vines that came from sites along the Rhein River in Germany, though almost only found here in Andalusia and in these famous pagos of la Sierra de Montilla, Moriles, and Las Puentes, where this wine was sourced. Sherry is often misunderstood or avoided, which is sad, especially a stellar example such as this, when you get a chance to experience them as they were meant to be enjoyed with the pairings that best suit them, as I did with this Alvear PX.
($30 Est. – 375ml – Half Bottle) 96 Points, grapelive