Williams & Humbert Don Zoilo Pedro Ximénez 15 Years Old

Don Zoilo Pedro Ximénez 15 Years Old comes from Williams & Humbert in Jerez, Andalusia, a house established in 1877 and now run by the Medina family. It is made entirely from Pedro Ximénez grown on the white albariza chalk soils of the Sherry region. After harvest the grapes are laid out in the sun to raisin, which dehydrates the berries and concentrates their sugar to extreme levels before pressing and fortification. The wine then ages for fifteen years in the criaderas and soleras system, a fractional blending of American oak casks where younger wine is progressively refreshed by older. This long oxidative ageing under high sugar and alcohol drives the wine to a deep mahogany, almost black colour and builds layers of dried fruit and oak-derived complexity. The nose is intense, with raisin, dried fig, date, molasses and a roasted, coffee-like depth. On the palate it is thick and syrupy, coating the glass, with caramel and walnut carrying through to a very long finish. The sweetness is balanced by the savoury bite of long cask ageing. Serve lightly chilled at around 12 to 14 degrees in a small glass. It is superb over vanilla ice cream, with dark chocolate, or alongside aged hard cheese.