Bodegas Ximénez Spínola, PX Solera 1918, Jerez, Spain [400G/L RS], N/V

Producer Profile

There are not many wineries that have built their success by focusing on just one grape variety, let alone one that has been almost permanently out of fashion, but that is precisely what Bodegas Ximénez-Spínola have done since 1729.

Working solely with Pedro Ximénez, they produce a selection of fascinating dry wines, dessert wines and sherries that bring all of their 300 years of experience to bear.

Viticulture

Once cut, the grapes spend no less than 21 days exposed to the sun, which dehydrates them slowly and progressively, concentrating the sugars and providing an elegant natural sweetness. Since the “sun-drying" causes the grapes to dehydrate, for every ton of fresh grapes only 300 kg of raisined grapes are obtained, which generates about 100 kg of waste (skin, stalks, seeds) and 200 litres of must.

Winemaking

It is aged in the family Solera from a blend of musts since 1918. Clarified by decanting from the barrel into the bottle through a soft cellulose filter. For its quality and scarcity, it is considered a "cult wine". The winery releases less than half of the annual quota assigned by the Regulatory Council.

Tasting Note

An intense mahogany colour, intense raisin aromas and notes of roasted coffee and black chocolate. The palate is dominated by the raisined grapes with hints of dried fig. The concentrated fruit is perfectly assembled with the delicate roasted wood notes leaving an almost endless aftertaste and a hard to forget experience

Food matching

Being intensely sweet this needs just as intense flavours in the food and works best with desserts such as cardamom rice pudding with honey and cumin glazed figs.