Toro Albala Don PX Seleccion Luxury 1980 (200ml)

The 1980 Don PX Selección is said to come from a warm and dry year that favored the raisining of the Pedro Ximénez grapes. This has lots of candied fruit and spice and combines the 17% alcohol with a whopping 340 grams of residual sugar. This aged in American oak butts until its bottling in September 2018. It surprised me with a complex and somewhat savory nose, reminiscent of bitter chocolate, licorice and roasted coffee, carob beans and black pepper. It’s super concentrated, dense and pungent, with a savory component, meaning the sugar is not as noticeable as you might think. It came through as complex and layered, very complete and intense. 97 Points, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate

The museum releases of vintage-dated Pedro Ximénez wines represent the most profound and concentrated expressions of PX from the Toro Albalá stable. Produced by the first two generations of Toro Albalá, the Convento Selección bottlings represent the very finest, oldest and rarest selections from their inventory, while the Selección wines were vinified by the second generation and Antonio Sanchez Romero—third generation and current head of the estate. The Ginés Liébana label is reserved for older lots that have been purchased and raised by Toro Albalá. Its ‘current’ release (1937) has been maturing in their Aguilar de la Frontera cellars since 1960.

For those who have not had experience with PX of this age, these wines are incredibly intense and infinitely complex. These are very different from the younger blended examples—not only in their complexity but also in their heightened savoury nature. Luckily, only small serves are required of these elixirs, and they will keep for months—even years—once opened, provided they are stored carefully (at cellar temperature for added longevity). They are a rare treat on a degustation menu or at the end of a meal. The Amontillado and Palo Cortado present as very intense aperitifs, while the PX wines are pretty much the ultimate pairing for chocolate, coffee, or any dish loaded with these ingredients.