Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Pedro Ximénez is produced with the fruit of very old Pedro Ximénez vineyards that were used to produce Pisco in the past. It matured in barrels with bâttonage, but there's no trace of oak at all; it's a fruit-driven, clean effort with faint notes of white flowers and some spiciness. The palate is very tasty, almost salty, fresh, sharp and with very good length. This is surprisingly good for such a (usually) neutral grape. Superb value.
The grape with the coolest name and some of the greatest fame in the wine-growing world, Pedro Ximénez is responsible for a handful of radically different wine styles. A white variety grown in Andalucia, Spain, it is primarily used in the production of sweet, late harvest Sherry as well as for crisp, dry whites. Somm Secret—It is also grown in New South Wales, Australia to produce the rich and golden McWilliam’s Pedro Sauterne and in Chile for Pisco production as well as a lovely varietal dry white from the Elqui Valley.
Part of the Coquimbo region, also with the Limari Valley, Elqui Valley is one of the northern wine producing regions of Chile, which historically focused on table grapes and pisco production. Intense sunlight and cooling effects of the ocean, together with rocky, clay soil make this one of Chile’s up-and-coming wine regions.