NV Gonzalez-Byass Pedro Ximénez Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Néctar, Spain, Wine Review

Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

This is made from the Pedro Ximinez or PX grape.  It is a sweet dessert wine.  Coffee brown in color with some green twinges (think Madeira), opaque and bright.  The nose is gorgeous and complex with tootsie roll notes along with raisins, figs and a touch of burnt orange peel.  Also a sort of sea air salinity lurks in the background.  This is viscous like 10W40 motor oil.  On the palate, this is sweet.  Notes of coffee, toffee layer with dark chocolate and the light salinity comes thru.  Complex and deep but also delicious.  A little goes a long way.  Very smooth.  This should last for a lo

NV Harveys Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Harveys Bristol Cream, Spain, Wine Review

Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$20.00USD

A pleasure to again revisit this wine.  It often gets short shrift these days, but for those who haven't tried it, this is a very nice sweet wine that offers pleasure and value.  If you get a bottle for the holidays, don't re-gift it.  You may be pleasantly surprised.  Open it up and try it.  It is a blend of Fino, Amontillado and Oloroso, with some Pedro Ximénez.   Iced tea in color, clear and bright.  The nose has toffee with slight caramel.  There is some noticeable alcohol on the nose.  Viscous texture and full bodied.  On the palate, this is sweet but not cloying.  There is a nice acid

NV Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Alfonso, Oloroso Seco, Spain, Wine Review

Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

Olorosso sherries are an acquired taste.  This is dry and different from most wines.  For those of us who love this style, this is a good thing as sherries have some of the best quality to price ratio in the wine world.  Olorosso sherries are made in an oxidative wine from the start.  They are fortified with a neutral spirit (around 17or 18% abv) that kills the yeasts.  This one is quite smooth and tasty.  Deep amber in color, clear and bright.  The nose is oxidized with walnuts and some apricots and orange peel.  Full bodied.  On the palate, the alcohol is noticeable but not bitter or hot.

NV Harveys Sherry Harveys Bristol Cream, Spain, Jerez, Wine Review

Score: 
87
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

After going decades without trying this, this is my second time this month.  And you know what, it shows well again.  Yes, this wine can be dissed by wine nerds, but it is enjoyable and reasonably priced.  One glass is plenty but that is true with many sweet wines.  Tawny in color.   The nose has a nice caramel and red apple quality.  There is little oxidation showing on the nose.  On the palate, this is nice.  Sweet but less than expected.  Caramel and nuttiness, with a slight salinity.  No hint of heat or alcohol.

1946 Bodegas Toro Albala Montilla-Moriles Don PX Gran Reserva, Spain, Montilla-Moriles Alto, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1946
Score: 
98
Grade: 
A+

What an interesting and great wine.  This is a sweet dessert wine made from Pedro Ximinez grapes.  This was made from grapes harvested in 1946.  It was casks and bottled in 2011.  There have been varying batch releases since then (though none on the market as of now).  It is dark brown in color.  A pretty color but not one normally associated with great wines.  The nose has a tootsie roll quality with a touch of chocolate liqueur.  Viscous.  On the palate, the tootsie roll notes follow thru but also a bit of warming alcohol which works nicely.   It is sweet, not cloying with a bit of acidit

NV Bodegas Tradición Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Amontillado 30 Years Old VORS, Spain, Jerez, Wine Review

Score: 
97
Grade: 
A+

Sherries are to a particular taste.  Very Old Rare Sherries may even be more so due to the cost.  Personally, I love them.  This bottle was consumed over three days.  It was at its best on day 3 (wine was corked and stored on the counter).  Gorgeous color of shimmering light brown/gold/orange.  Clear and bright in the glass.  On the nose, this is so complex.  Caramel, tootsie rolls, some alcohol, camphor/iodine, and minerals.  Complex.  On day 2 and 3, the alcohol is less noticeable.  It is oxidized but doesn't offend (me).  On the palate, it feels like there will be a bit from either the a