Grape Variety: Pedro Ximenez

Colour: White

Pedro Ximénez (also known as PX and many other variations) is the name of a white grape grown in certain regions of Spain, and also a varietal wine, an intensely sweet, dark, dessert sherry.

“You have to admit, Maestro, that they certainly bottle things well in Andalusia,” he said, taking a sip and giving a satisfied click of his tongue. “Look at it against the light: pure gold, Spanish sun. We have no reason to envy the insipid stuff they drink abroad.”

The Fencing Master – Arturo Perez-Reverte

PX was originally grown in the Montilla-Moriles region, and along with Palomino Fino made up the majority of grapes used in the manufacture of sherry. However, the strong resistance of the Palomino to disease has led to a great decline in the use of Pedro Ximénez in traditional sherry, and despite its continued use in the sweeter blends of sherry in Montilla-Moriles, Málaga and other regions of Andalusia, its fame now rests principally on its use in the varietal raisin wine of the same name.

The dessert wine Pedro Ximénez is made by drying the grapes under the hot Spanish sun, concentrating the sweetness, which are then used to create a thick, black liquid with a strong taste of raisins and molasses that is fortified and aged in solera.

The grape is also grown in the regions of Valencia, Canary Islands and Extremadura, and occasionally also used in making a poorly-rated table wine.

The wines of Sanchez Romate are particularly notable examples including the Cardinel Cisneros and the Vieijisimo (from an old solera), a veritable toff amongst the toffee flavoured pxs.

Pedro Ximenez ages brilliantly to produce wines that combine exotic flavours of caramelised oranges, tamarinds, prunes and treacle toffee on the one hand with a refreshing grapiness and secondary notes of grilled brazil and walnuts. It is a worthy foil to chocolate and simply delicious poured over fresh vanilla ice cream.