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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91 pts. and median of 96 pts. in 13 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jrglm on 12/24/2019 & rated 97 points: Need a “Love it” button for this wine. I’m sure you can find more pricy PX, but I don’t need to look any further. Paired with homemade spiced apple Galette and vanilla ice cream. Insanely rich with caramel and layered fruit. One of my all-time favs. (946 views) | | | Tasted by jayw on 11/28/2019: Probably the densest wine I've ever tasted. The nose smells hot, but the alcohol is barely noticeable on the palate. Not too raisiny. Nutty, mocha caramel flavors and just enough acidity to keep it from cloying. It has an elegance despite the weight, but $60 is too much to pay for a wine for a wine of this caliber; there are much better values to be had from Sauternes, Ports and other sherries at that price. (695 views) | | | Tasted by jhngo on 9/2/2017 & rated 60 points: Syrupy medicinal sugary candy like (1591 views) | | | Tasted by Redguy on 12/30/2013 & rated 97 points: A follow-up to my note posted 8/12.
Finally finished this bottle. It had been open in the fridge for the past 17 months, with occasional visits in between. Very consistent over that time... I'd say my notes from 2012 still accurately describe what's in the bottle. Great uniqueness and complexity. Such an interesting beast. I have another unopened bottle and look forward to yet another lengthy exploration. Would repurchase this special elixir without hesitation. Hard to imagine a better wine of this type, but I've left room in the score just in case.
As a side note: On this particular night it was the post-Sauternes finisher to a wine dinner with fellow winos and a winemaker. Impressions ranged from "nectar of the gods" to "prune juice" to "WTF?" The wife is in the "prune juice" camp. It's all mine. (4098 views) | | | Tasted by BigGer on 2/18/2013 & rated 91 points: Didn't really know what to expect with this wine, but when i found a sticky sediment in my cellar and traced it back to this bottle, I decided it was time to open and consume. The Plata didn't seem affected by the loss of containment. It's a heavy wine with a turgid personality that is a mouthful whether you like it or not. If you like that sort of thing, the Plata is a great example and worthy of praise. If your taste runs more toward subtlety than overt expression, like mine, you can still appreciate this in the same way a Pug owner appreciates a classic Great Dane: as a great example of Dog. I give it a 96 for what it is and an 88 for what I like in wine. Consensus 91. (4478 views) | | | Tasted by Charlie Pendejo on 1/26/2013: Opened literally months ago, and came back to it at irregular intervals. It is as other tasters describe, pretty much; but I found it just a little much. Though it's got lively acidity, the raisin & caramel sweetness, and heck, possibly just the amplitude of flavor, made it a touch cloying/fatiguing for me - though I can completely understand that it'd translate to high-volume excitement to others. I'm in no hurry to open my other bottle. (3672 views) | | | Tasted by popasq on 1/13/2013 & rated 100 points: My first 100 points wine, unbelievable. Drank it over 1 week. (4037 views) | | | Tasted by jrglm on 12/31/2012 & rated 96 points: I can't begin to say how disappointed I am. In myself. For some reason which defies explanation, I bought only one of this offering from Jon at Garagiste. As is our custom for a decade or so at NYE, we gather with our close friends for food and drink to ring in the new year. I have become the supplier of the evening's dessert wine by some quirk of habit. I search for an interesting and unique bottle all year long, from Tawny to Tokaji.
This PX blew everyone away. Raisins, caramel, coffee on the nose and palate. Thick and viscous, luscious and rich, beauty in a glass. Paired with slightly-sweet Guinness chocolate cake. It was, in a word, perfection. (3670 views) | | | Tasted by J.L. on 10/7/2012: Redguy is spot on (2097 views) | | | Tasted by Redguy on 8/14/2012: Unique, at least to me. Don't know what the hell to compare it to but it was excellent. Prunes for sure. Coffee and toffee. Guess some plantains too. Thick Kahlua like consistency. Feels cloying yet never actually cloys... surprisingly good acidity keeps this relatively bright inspite of its sticky hulk-like nature. Somewhat addictive yet hard to drink more than a small glass. Conundrums in a bottle. This particular one's already been open for a month in the refer... and it's improved. Guess this takes a few weeks to open. We'll see where it goes from here. (1567 views) | | | Tasted by hecvil on 8/6/2012: rounded edges, raisins galore! (1996 views) |
| Bodegas Robles Producer website
From Jon Rimmerman (Garagiste):
If you drive due south from Cordoba, across the heart of Andalusia towards the coast, you will cross the little known DO (Denominacion de Origen) of Montilla Moriles.
Few stop here – ever.
This hilly, undulating region is one of the sunniest in all of Europe. Summer temperatures can reach 115 with 2,500 hours of sunshine per year – for those of you keeping track, that’s a lot. Not only does this region absorb an inordinate amount of solar energy but the soil also acts as a reflector - the white, chalky limestone/carbonate mixture ("albarizas") can blind the weary hiker as they walk the land. Thankfully, there are hamlets and bodegas that are more than a mirage - all serving splendid local refreshments that are true to their origin but also honest and full of pride.
The vines in this region are at elevation (1000 - 3000 ft) which helps produce one of the widest hot/cold swings in Iberia. In addition, the soil can have up to 50% chalk which absorbs and stores deep water reserves to offset the torrid blaze above ground.
Why would I, a staunch classicist, venture to a place that seems diametrically opposed to my normal no fruit/all acid mantra?
Pedro Jimenez...
...specifically, one of the great unknown producers of sweet wine in Europe that specializes in tradition-rich/organic/BIO Montilla Moriles.
Even if you don't enjoy dessert wine, it doesn't matter, you need to try this fascinating set of hand-made treasures.
Pedro Ximenez was brought to this region in the 16th century by a soldier of Charles V who gave his name to the grape. The varietal requires a torrid climate to ripen and then (after picking) an equal amount of sunshine to air-dry on mats to concentrate the must (for the top PX). What sets this type of dessert wine apart from something like Port or sherry is the natural level of fermentable sugar in the grapes - they do not need to be fortified after fermentation and contain no added alcohol – only what the season gave them.
Founded in 1927, Bodegas Robles is the star of the region. As the first and only certified organic wine of this Andalusian Denomination of Origin, they’ve been growing Pedro Ximenez grapes naturally and organically for over 75 years. When it was fashionable to use chemicals in the 1960’s-1980’s, they refused. Their soil has never been treated with anything but sunlight, rainwater and their own hard work. If there was an organic case-study to follow, to prove just how important it is to farm vineyards without interference, this is it.
As a producer of "en flor" (an extremely complex and delicate process), they use a veil (or flor) that forms on the surface of the wine in the barrel it help define the framework and character of each wine. The natural yeasts that form the flor render each rendition of Bodegas Robles with a flavor dimension that must be tasted to be understood.N.V. Bodegas Robles Pedro Ximénez Montilla-Moriles Seleccion "Plata" 1927Bodegas Robles Seleccion “Plata” 1927 Pedro Ximenez 750ml - $59.73
(this is not Louis Alegre or Piedra Luenga – this is a special reserve lot of PX from an original base of 1927 and long/decade+ aged Pedro Jimenez)
A five-star blend of exquisite nectars, I actually drooled on my tasting sheet when consuming this (I did not spit, not a chance). Deserving of the “wow” title above in every respect, the tawny, caramel and lightly roasted coffee/coca notes drift on and on as the conversation picks up speed quickly. The texture is akin to the feeling you have after the most perfect week’s vacation with a ball of natural glycerols that coat the palate but stay true to form as they glide their way across the farthest reaches of your palate. For a taster such as myself, one that does not care for many sweet/dessert wines, to be rendered silly by this wine is saying a mouthful. Fabulous...and I mean fabulous. VERY RARE
Jon RimmermanPedro Ximénez uvaSpain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.Andalucía Andalucía and its wines
DOs
Wikipedia
Map on weinlagen-info
Two suggestions for listing Sherries and Manzanilla wines from a frequent user in a time of change:
The vast majority of these wines are solera-produced and are therefore nonvintage; they should not be listed under a vintage date. A Saca (or bottling) can be listed with a date under Designation, since each bottling is liable to be somewhat different. Dates of accession to your cellar, if it seems important, can also be listed in Designation. <b> Only an Anada (Vintage) wine should bear a vintage date.</b>
Currently, Manzanilla wines (what used to be called Manzanilla Fino) need only be listed as coming from the wine region Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda. This assumes the 'Jerez' region, which need not be mentioned. For older wines, there may be some confusion about the origin and type. I would suggest following the label as much as possible. jht |
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