Very Old Harvest Pedro Ximenez DO

Pedro Ximénez from the Ximénez-Spínola estate is concentrated sweetness with depth, not a one-dimensional dessert wine. After harvesting, the grapes are dried on straw mats in the Andalusian sun until the sugar content rises to a level that barely allows for fermentation. What ends up in the glass is deep black, viscous, and intensely aromatic.

Ximénez-Spínola is located in Jerez de la Frontera and is one of the few wineries that still produce Pedro Ximénez as a single varietal wine without blending. Their Very Old Harvest matures using the Solera system—a process in which younger vintages are gradually blended with older wines, resulting in a wine that has aged for decades. Every three years, the wine is aged for several weeks in chestnut barrels over 75 years old—a process that has almost died out in the region because the stocks were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.

In the glass: date, dried fig, apricot jam, licorice, and a hint of walnut. Velvety-smooth texture, intensely sweet with a delicate bitter almond note in the long finish. Serving temperature: 14–16 °C. Enjoy neat with blue cheeses like Gorgonzola or Roquefort, with chocolate desserts, or as a digestif—also delicious over vanilla ice cream.