WTN - Vintage PX vs. Solera PX

Never having had a PX before, over Christmas I bought a bottle of the much-praised Alvear 1927 Solera. In what I call a simultaneous example of extravagant generosity and luck combined with cosmic coincidence, before I had even opened the Alvear, I was given a free taste of the 1979 Toro Albala Don PX at a restaurant. The Don PX was the best intro to PX one could ever hope to have: exhibiting the expected syrupy sweetness but with remarkable freshness and acidity. Having had this godly nectar, I looked forward tremendously to the Alvear, especially since it has gotten such rave reviews across the board. There was simply no comparison: the Solera had the impressive syrupy richness, but was lacking in freshness. It may simply have been that this was a different bottling than the lauded examples, or perhaps solera PX just doesn't do it for me. Or, most likely, I was just extraordinarily spoiled to be introduced to PX by what I gather is the very best of them. Given that Don PX can be had online for just a few dollars more than I paid for the Alvear (though the Alvear is somewhat cheaper online), I would consider the Don PX a much, much better value.

Bodegas Toro Albala, Don Pedro Ximenez, Gran Reserva, Montilla-Moriles 1979
Vintage, not solera. Almost black mahogany color. Amazing nose of raisen, caramel, and fruit cake; in fact, a nose so good you could almost experience the wine without actually tasting it! On the palate, raisen, hints of raspberry and orange, and lots of creamy caramel (you'd almost swear you were eating caramel, not just tasting it). Syrupy in texture, and remarkably fresh. Amazing stuff. Remarkably similar to an 80-year-old Ch. Coutet, Barsac 1928 I tasted (minus the tropical fruits and the boytritus of course). A desert by itself. This will live in bottle a very long time - the term industructible comes to mind - at least 20 years from now, and I believe will reveal further things with age. But it's damned good now! Exceptional / Extraordinary (92 - 94) [1/21/10]

Alvear, Pedro Ximenez, Solera 1927, Montilla-Moriles NV
Cola colored. Not far off from the consistency of maple syrup. Deep nose of dates, orange rind, and caramel. On the palate, dates, notes of orange rind and raspberry, with abundant caramel, and notes of chocolate. Very full bodied, intensely sweet and viscous, but supported by decent acidity. Somewhat firm when first openned. Consumed over the course of 3 weeks (simply recorked inbetween), and at its best after one week. This yeilds diminishing returns if you drink more than 1 - 2 ounces, and it isn't quite as fresh as one would like (and so can become cloying), but certainly a very impressive wine. This is the sort of wine that will not gain from additional bottle age, so drink now, but should hold in identical state for a decade or more. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91) [2/13/10]

Fun stuff. I haven't had any PX in years but I always enjoy it when I do.

I always found it especially difficult to write tasting notes for these wines. So rich and sweet and so many similarities across wines. Not that they don't have distinct character!

The 1927 always reminds me of Kahlua. That lack of freshness is really a lack of acidity.

[David M. Bueker]

I drank through a lot of an early '70s Albala PX. Delicious stuff, though a half bottle could last three weeks!

The Toro Albala PX is just amazing stuff. The 1972, of which I still have one bottle that I'm guarding, is the best I've tried. Unfortunately, the supply of that seems to be exhausted. The 1971 is pretty close to it in being outstanding. I haven't tried the 1979, but I see from WineSearcher that it is pretty widely available.

After trying my first Toro Albala, I was amazed to discover that the PX grape is white, given that these look like motor oil.. and have a similar viscosity. I don't think they will age at all, however. A bottle of this can remain open for weeks and not change a bit. They are completely oxidized, and no chance of heat damage. What they are today is what they were when bottled and what they will be like in 20 years. I think they are wonderful, and I prefer these to Sauternes.

The 1927 on the Solera, while not quite bogus, is a bit deceptive, I've thought. How much 1927 juice is in each bottle? A drop or two maybe? And what else is there? Big difference from vintage stuff.