Wine Review: Pedro Ximénez Two Ways-Falernia and Alvear “1927”

Last weekend I drank a dry white Pedro Ximénez (PX) from Chile and a dessert Pedro Ximénez from Montilla-Moriles, Spain, it’s more known home. How were they?

2019 Falernia Reserva Pedro Ximénez Elqui

I bought this at Jumbo supermarket for about 5,000 CLP (~$6.50), but they do export some.  Falernia is an interesting producer because they produce out of the arid Elqui Valley, which is more well known for making pisco, but there are a handful of producers based out there. They’re also interesting because they make many types of wines with different varieties such as a Viognier, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sangiovese, Carmenere/Syrah rosé, late harvest Moscatel, and many more. We had a Carmenere made in an Amarone style from them not too long ago.

Not to be confused with Pedro Gimenez with a “G,” or sometimes spelled “Pedro Jimenez” with a “J,” which is a criolla grape (varieties born in the Americas from crossed European varieties) that they also grow in this region and use in pisco, this Pedro Ximénez with an “X” is the same grape that they use to make the sweet Pedro Ximénez in Spain. However, neither are grapes you usually find as a dry white single varietal in South America.

Tasting Notes:

Screw-top. Initially this is dominated by minerality on the nose and palate. There’s minerality and salinity. The acid is lower than say a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, but it’s still fresh. Eventually a ripe white peach note emerges on the nose and palate with a touch of honey. Aged in steel vats. A solid white that is more than the worth the 7-dollar price. I had it with ceviche and other seafood, which was a fine pairing. 88 pts AC.

Alvear “1927” Pedro Ximénez Solera Montilla-Moriles

Although they also make dry varietal Pedro Ximénez in Andalucia, Pedro Ximénez is better known as a sweet wine. There’s some confusion on what to call sweet Pedro Ximénez. The variety is blended in various types of sweet sherry in Jerez or in similar styles in much larger percentages but usually unfortified in Montilla-Moriles. These would be labeled as Montilla-Moriles along with the type of wine it is like Oloroso, Fino, Amontillado, etc. just like sherry would be labeled but from Jerez.

However, there’s also a syrupy, sun-dried 100% Pedro Ximénez style made mostly in Montilla-Moriles that’s simply called Pedro Ximénez or PX. However, there are producers in Jerez that make this style too and are legallly allowed to source their Pedro Ximénez grapes from Montilla-Moriles. Hence, this type of sweet Pedro Ximénez is often lumped into the same category as sherry by wine lovers even though most are not made in Jerez so technically can’t be called sherry/Jerez. The issue ultimately stems from sherry being a type of wine and a region, but there are many smaller regions in Andalucia nearby that make similar wines as Jerez. Bottom line, a wine that is labeled “Pedro Ximénez” from a region in Andalucia is either a dry white varietal version or the sweet, syrupy version, but the variety can be blended in other types of wines from the region.

For this tasting, I have a sweet PX, so that means it’s made from grapes dried in the sun. It is then pressed and later the fermentation is stopped with some type of grape alcohol (like with Vin de Paille or straw wines). Then it undergoes oxidative aging. Although there are vintage PX, this Pedro Ximénez uses the Sherry Solera system. This is essentially a system of filling what is taken and bottled from the oldest grape material with the next vintage. Therefore, this PX has material from 1927 and is mixed with many other vintages after it. I still find it amazing that I’m drinking something that has material in it that almost dates back to the last major pandemic. Bodegas Alvear itself was founded in 1729.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a whiff of alcohol at first which blows away. You get prune and raisin notes along with wood notes and caramel. On the palate, despite the alcohol, it is super smooth and syrupy with the same raisin and prune notes, a bit of spice and surprisingly a nice streak of acidity. It’s amazing that something that has material so old in it with such sweet dried fruit has so much freshness to it. Although it is relatively syrupy, it’s not heavy. It glides over your tongue effortlessly. I had it with gourmet vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Tastes a lot like a fruitcake. I could imagine having this with panettone, fruit cake or what they have here in Chile for Christmas, Pan de Pascua.

I don’t think I can give this a score since I’ve never had sweet Pedro Ximenez before and have nothing to compare it to. That being said, I can say that I like it, but it must be had in small quantities and savored at the end of a meal. The other thing good about these sweet PX is that they can last for many months after they’re opened if sealed and stored in the fridge. I will be enjoying this one over several months.

Despite the age and quality of the material in this, it only costs around $28 for a half bottle all over the world. This is one type of wine Chile does not make as far as I know, but it seems theoretically possible in Elqui. Edwards Fine Wines does sell a PX from Jerez if you’re in Chile and would like to try one.

Have you ever tried Pedro Ximénez, in either form? What do you think?