Bright amber tinged gold with golden highlights.
Nose
Forthcoming, fresh, aromatic and interesting with attractive aromas of overripe grapes giving a slight impression of sweetness and even a hint of botrytis, neither of which is actually present. There are notes of quince jelly, raisin, dried apricot, straw and faint oxidation which combine to produce considerable complexity in a wine with a unique identity.
Palate
While dry really, there is a faint hint of sweetness enhanced by moderate acidity yet balance is good and it has a long dry finish. There is no shortage of flavour which is mostly dried fruits, not totally unlike a dry German auslese, but with that distinct PX quince flavour and a higher strength. There is a very gentle grape skin texture and a hint of albariza chalk as well.
Comments
This is another unique, serious and delicious wine from this wonderfully idiosyncratic bodega which makes its wines only from Pedro Ximénez. In this case the grapes are left on the vine to over-ripen for about three weeks longer than for a conventional harvest and are then they are taken to the bodega and lightly pressed. The yield, naturally, is very low, about 600 litres per ton. Once pressed, the must, along with the skins is poured into 300 litre French oak barrels, but they are not filled completely so as to allow for the daily addition of 30 litres more must. This process allows for a slow and complete fermentation which lasts all of fifteen days, but is both complicated and difficult as PX has a tendency to leave residual sugars. The wine is subjected to regular but gentle batonnage throughout its nine months of ageing on lees (interestingly the main label says 9 months yet the back label says six...) and the result is a dry but rich wine of great individuality. The 2017 vintage produced 6248 bottles which are sealed with a 2 inch Diam cork.
Price
30.00,De Albariza
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