González Byass Néctar Pedro Ximénez

Nectar Pedro Ximenez comes from Gonzalez Byass in Jerez de la Frontera, the house founded in 1835 and home of Tio Pepe. The Pedro Ximenez grapes are sun-dried on mats to dehydrate, concentrating their sugars into a thick, intensely sweet must before pressing. Ageing runs around nine years through the criaderas and soleras system, where wine moves down a stack of casks as younger material is blended in from above, smoothing the style and building consistency. The oxidative time in oak darkens the wine and develops its toasted, roasted character while the residual sugar keeps it dense and viscous. On the white albariza soils of the Jerez region, Pedro Ximenez gives the raw concentration that this style depends on. The colour is deep and almost opaque. The nose is honey, raisin, fig and date, with toasted coffee, chocolate and liquorice from the years in cask. The palate is silky and unctuous, sweet through the middle and carried by a coffee-tinged bitterness that keeps the finish from cloying. Serve lightly chilled in a small glass at the end of a meal, poured over ice cream or set against dark chocolate or a strong blue cheese.