Alvear Pedro Ximenez 1830 Solera (500ML)
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Robert
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The NV Solera 1830 Pedro Ximenez is the oldest and most concentrated sweet wine from Alvear. It comes from a solera created in 1830 blended with other very old PXs and released in very small quantities (1,200 bottles every two years). The color is black and dense like melted chocolate with a bright amber edge. It has a nose of extreme concentration and age, noble woods, espresso coffee (make that a ristretto!), vanilla and coconut that I also find in the oldest sweet wines like Toneles from Valdespino or the 1946 PX from Toro Albala. Extraordinarily complex, velvety and fine. As the wine is so dense, during the concentration through age it actually loses alcohol, and it’s bottled at 11.5%. This wine could last forever. Drink 2013-2030.
Sherry is a fortified wine that comes in many styles from dry to sweet. True Sherry can only be made in Andalucía, Spain where the soil and unique seasonal changes give a particular character to its wines. The process of production—not really the grape—determine the type, though certain types are reserved for certain grapes. Palomino is responsible for most dry styles; Pedro Ximénez and Muscat of Alexandria are used for blending or for sweet styles.
Known for bold reds, crisp whites, easy-drinking rosés, distinctive sparkling, and fortified wines, Spain has embraced international varieties and wine styles while continuing to place primary emphasis on its own native grapes. Though the country’s climate is diverse, it is generally hot and dry. In the center of the country lies a vast, arid plateau known as the Meseta Central, characterized by extremely hot summers and frequent drought.
Rioja is Spain’s best-known region, where earthy, age-worthy Spanish reds are made from Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache). Rioja also produces rich, nutty whites from the local Viura grape.
Ribera del Duero is gaining ground for Spanish wines with its single varietal Tempranillo wines, recognized for their concentration of fruit and opulence. Priorat, a sub-region of Catalonia, specializes in bold, full-bodied Spanish red wine blends of Garnacha (Grenache), Cariñena (Carignan), and often Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Catalonia is also home to Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional method but from indigenous varieties. In the cool, damp northwest Spanish wine region of Galicia, refreshing Spanish white Albariño and Verdejo dominate.
Sherry, Spain’s famous fortified wine, is produced in a wide range of styles from dry to lusciously sweet at the country’s southern tip in Jerez.