WTN: Seven PedroXimenez Wines...(short/boring)

We tasted these PedroXimenezs ystrday at Pig+Fig:
_____________
1. ToAlbala Electrico Fino del Lagar PedroXimenez Dd'O: Montilla-Moriles Vino Fino de Primavera
(Aged: 10 yrs in Solera; 15%; ClassicWines/Seattle) Antonio Sanahez NV: Pale gold color; strong fino/oxidative/nutty/very saline bit bannana oil fairly complex nose; very dry/austere very saline/fino sherry some complex flavor; med.ling dry/saline/austere finish; not a pleasure to taste on its own & badly needs some food with it; but a pretty classical expression of fino sherry. $18.00/500ml (LB)
_____________
2. Bodegas Yuste Aurora Oloroso Dd'O: Jerez-Xeres (17.5%; CalssicWines) Sanlucar de Barrameda NV: Deep golden/burnished bronze color; strong oloroso sherry/nutty/bit oxidative complex nose; quite dry austere/saline fairly rich rather oxidative quite nutty some complex flavor w/ long saline/oxidative finish; a very dry/saline Oloroso that badly needs food. $20.50/500ml (KK)
_____________
3. Bodegas Yuste Aurora PedroXimenez (15%) NV: Very dark brown color almost black; intense roasted/grapey/quite nutty/walnutty/pecan pie molasses quite complex nose; quite sweet raisened/caramel/nutty/pecan pie/molasses rather complex flavor; very long/lingering quite nutty/pecan pie/walnutty/molasses fairly complex finish; a rather interesting/complex PX. $24.50/500ml (KK)
_____________
4. Gonzales-Byass Nectar PedroXimenez NV: Very dark/near black color; bit alcoholic very raisened/pruney/PX bit earthy somewhat simple/grapey nose; quite sweet very raisened/pruney/toffee/grapey/fig newton bit simple flavor; very long intensely sweet/pruney/raisened/grapey finish; loads of raisened sugar but a bit on the simple side. $40.00
_____________
5. Bodegas Dios Baca Oxford 1.970 PedroXimenez (17%; www.BodegasDioBaco.com) Jerez NV: Very dark/near black color; intense raisened/pruney very walnutty/nutty fairly complex nose; somewhat sweet some pruney/raisened rather alcoholic somewhat winey flavor; very long quite walnutty/some raisened/pruney finish; not as intensely sweet & not as complex & a bit more winey than the other PX. $17.50/500ml (KK)
_____________
6. Lustau PedroXimenez SanEmilio Dd'O: Jerez Sherry (17%; www.Lustau.Es; Europvin/VanNuys) NV: Very dark brown/near black color; less raisened/pruney some walnutty/earthy fairly complex nose; not as sweet strong raisened/walnutty/bit pruney/nutty some complex flavor w/ very long/lingering less sweet finish; a very good PX at a very fair price. $32.00 (KK)
_____________
7. Bodega Barbadillo LaCilla PedroXimenez (17.5%; www.Barbadillo.com; L322151; Well-Oiled Wine Co./
Wash/DC) Luis de Eguilaz NV: Dark brown/near black color; very strong walnutty/pecan pie/caramel bit molasses/raisened quite complex nose; not as sweet quite walnutty/pecan pie/caramel some raisened/pruney/molasses fairly complex flavor w/ very long somewhat sweet walnutty finish; the most complex & my favorite of the PX. $37.50 (KK)
_________________________________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. The Fino & the Oloroso were not very much fun to taste on their own....too saline & austere and badly needed food to temper the palate.
Of the sweet PX; the Gonzales-Byass was the least interesting by far. The consensus was #7, then #6, followed closely by #3 as the favorites.
I had suggested Laura make a pecan pie to accompany these wines, but she thought it might be too much of a sugar overload. She was probably right. She came up with a pecan-crusted toffee pudding that was not overly sweet that worked very well with the PX, letting the PX deliver the needed sugar kick.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

That’s an interesting tasting!

That’s an interesting tasting!

Yes, indeed. PX is not my favourite style of sherry and I don't believe that I have ever owned a bottle. However, it is certainly an interesting dessert wine, or even a dessert in itself, from time to time. I would have enjoyed that tasting.

As far as Fino is concerned, it used to be routine in British households in the bad old days to offer dry sherry as an apéritif without food or at most with a few nuts or olives. This was often a disaster because the sherry had been lying warm in a decanter for far too long but not IMO because it was inherently a bad choice, provided the sherry was cool and fresh. Of course, Fino is definitely enhanced when paired with tapas.

That’s an interesting tasting!

Yes, indeed. PX is not my favourite style of sherry and I don't believe that I have ever owned a bottle. However, it is certainly an interesting dessert wine, or even a dessert in itself, from time to time. I would have enjoyed that tasting.

As far as Fino is concerned, it used to be routine in British households in the bad old days to offer dry sherry as an apéritif without food or at most with a few nuts or olives. This was often a disaster because the sherry had been lying warm in a decanter for far too long but not IMO because it was inherently a bad choice, provided the sherry was cool and fresh. Of course, Fino is definitely enhanced when paired with tapas.

Actually, Tim... the fino tasted a lot better with slightly salty potato chips.
Tom

As far as Fino is concerned, it used to be routine in British households in the bad old days to offer dry sherry as an apéritif without food or at most with a few nuts or olives. This was often a disaster because the sherry had been lying warm in a decanter for far too long but not IMO because it was inherently a bad choice, provided the sherry was cool and fresh. Of course, Fino is definitely enhanced when paired with tapas.

Fino in Jerez is almost always made from the Palomino grape, not PX, and is put through the flor process during fermentation. As you pointed out, Fino sherry is at its best when freshest and it behaves just like white table wine when left in a decanter--it deteriorates rapidly.

I'm more of a dry Sherry fan vs. sweet. Dry palo cortado and oloroso are my favorites.

-Paul W.