Alvear Px de Añada 2023

Alvear PX de Añada 2023 is a single-vintage Pedro Ximénez from Bodegas Alvear in the D.O. Montilla-Moriles, in Córdoba, Andalusia. Alvear is a family house with more than 280 years of history, now in its eighth generation. The fruit comes from vineyards planted on calcareous albariza-type soils near the Sierra de Montilla y Moriles, where the white chalk reflects the strong Andalusian sun and helps the grapes ripen fully. After picking, the grapes are sun-dried so the berries shrivel to raisins and their natural sugar concentrates dramatically before pressing. As a young vintage wine, this PX is bottled without the long solera ageing of the reserve styles, so it keeps the fresh, vivid intensity of the dried fruit rather than the deep oxidative character of older bottlings. It pours dark and dense. The nose leads with raisin, dried fig and date, backed by honey and caramel. On the palate it is thick, sweet and concentrated, the sugar carried by a plum-like fruit depth and a long finish. This is sweet PX in a more direct, fruit-forward form. Serve lightly chilled at around 12 to 14 degrees in a small glass. It suits chocolate puddings, ice cream and aged hard cheese.