Pedro Ximenez Question

Trying to expand my horizons.....

Alvear 2011 Pedro Ximenez de Anada

Would this wine be bottled in 2011 from grapes grown in another year or from grapes grown in 2011 (or both, I suppose). The reason I ask is that I've seen the following:

produced with Pedro Ximenez grapes dehydrated under the sun at the time of the Second World War, was only bottled in September 2011. This is an extreme wine, my first descriptor was ultra-mega-super concentrated.

and somewhere else:

Alvear's 2011 Pedro Ximenez de Anada is the most amazing Pedro Ximenez I have ever tasted. It may also be one of the first to be vintage-dated. The grapes were hand-harvested in September, then allowed to dry in the sunshine until they began fermentation, which is ultimately arrested by the addition of spirits. The wine spent six months in large American oak prior to being bottled.

[David M. Bueker]

I wish I knew, as I have 3 bottles!

I will have 3 soon!

Its an interesting example of how the reviews/ratings on wine store web sites (even when they quote the WA or WS) aren't always correct. One of those write ups is clearly wrong as they both describe the same wine (on different web sites).

I will have 3 soon!

Its an interesting example of how the reviews/ratings on wine store web sites (even when they quote the WA or WS) aren't always correct. One of those write ups is clearly wrong as they both describe the same wine (on different web sites).

Yep, primarily because a lot of the wine bloggers---and wine sellers---and a distressing number of wine critics

1. don't know WTF they're talking about a good part of the time.
2. yield to either badly re-phrasing marketing bs as a shortcut, hoping people will swallow it.
3. are just plain and simple bad writers who desperately need an editor.

[David M. Bueker]

If one of those entries came from The Wine Advocate I would trust that, as the guy they hired who covers Sherry is very, very solid.

If one of those entries came from The Wine Advocate I would trust that, as the guy they hired who covers Sherry is very, very solid.

I thought the same thing, but looked and alas the second quote is from the Wine Advocate, but (Parker in full expansive mode) rather than Gutierrez. And as far as "the most amazing Pedro Ximenez I have ever tasted. It may also be one of the first to be vintage-dated." the WA has reviewed even this same wine from other vintages in the past.

[David M. Bueker]

Ah, so it's not the Sherry guy, but the unkempt beard crazy guy who wrote the note.

It sounds like the two types of PXs made by Alvear were confused. They have made a vintage dated version since around 2000; it is a true vintage wine made from the grapes of one vintage. They also make a solera style, the traditional style; for example, the Alvear Solera 1927, where the date refers to when the solera was started (i.e., the first vintage of a blended wine from practically every vintage).

[David M. Bueker]

So I just opened a bottle of the 2011 Alvear. It's thick, syrupy and formless-not unlike Parker himself.

Vintage PX Sherry is usually made from grapes harvested from the grower’s oldest vines. The vines themselves might have been planted just after WW II.

Salute

Vintage PX Sherry is usually made from grapes harvested from the grower’s oldest vines. The vines themselves might have been planted just after WW II.

Salute

The write up said the grapes were from WW2 not the vines.

Thanks for all the comments. One of the wines (and now I'm not sure which) got 100 Bobby points so you can bet that's contributing to the confusion among those wine retailers putting WA reviews on their website.

Both quotes are attributed to WA in various place on the interweb - google is your friend.

The second is about the 2011, but the first is about an entirely different wine:

https://www.bpwine.com/product/detail/8422xz.html

So here is a question. I have the 2001 Alvear PX Anada, is it going to be at its best right now?

[David M. Bueker]

Pancake syrup doesn't change much over time.

They were grown in 2011. I checked with the bodega, but a look at the price is enough.

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

[Robin Garr]

Setting aside "pancake syrup" - I prefer to think of it as "ice-cream sundae syrup" - PX is pretty much indestructible, but it also doesn't evolve to speak of. What it was, it is, and forever more shall be, within reason. I might be wary of a 25-year-old bottle, but basically, drink it whenever.

Robin wrote:
Setting aside "pancake syrup" - I prefer to think of it as "ice-cream sundae syrup"

I guess that might depend on the serving temperature of the PX. Questions for David and Robin, at what (serving) temperature do you enjoy your PX?

Salute

Robin wrote:
Setting aside "pancake syrup" - I prefer to think of it as "ice-cream sundae syrup"

I guess that might depend on the serving temperature of the PX. Questions for David and Robin, at what (serving) temperature do you enjoy your PX?

Salute

I would say it would have to be served warm enough to avoid immediately solidifying when poured over the artisanal vanilla bean gelato!

[David M. Bueker]

I serve PX at cellar temp.

[Robin Garr]

I serve PX at cellar temp.

Makes sense to me. It would be really cloying served warm.

[Jenise]

Pancake syrup doesn't change much over time.

[Involuntary guffaw]

After reading Fredrick’s response (getting a little confused) than going back to Tom’s originally post, I thought Steve did a pretty good job clearing that up. The problem lies with the way we are familiar with interoperating labels and we are not reading Sherry labels like a Spaniard would. Checking out the Alvear Bodegas website they produce several single vintage PX Sherry wines.
PX de Añada yyyy (PX of the year yyyy –year of harvest)
PX Dulce Viejo yyyy (Old sweet PX yyyy- year of harvest)
Here’s where it gets a little tricky
PX Cosecha yyyy (A single harvest PX but the yyyy does not necessarily mean year of harvest instead it represents the bottling year. According to their website the 2003 PX harvest was chosen for the PX Cosecha 2007).


The Don PX are totally different (Gifted (from God) single vintage PX aged for a minimum of 25 years)

Salute