DIATOMISTS SINGULAR BOTAS PX
Perhaps summer is not the best time to write about one of the sweetest wines in the world. But then, it never seems an opportune moment to talk about the sweets. Of all the wine styles it appears to be the least fashionable today.
Having written these posts for over 2 years now I have finally come around full circle. From the bone-dry Manzanilla up the kaleidoscopic scale all the way to the luscious Pedro Ximénez (PX). An indulgent, uninhibited, sweet, style to be savoured in an act of pure pleasure.
The paradox of the word “Sherry” is that it starts and finishes with the 2 extremities of white wine styles – dry and sweet. Not only the polar-opposites, but the very limits of their own definitions. Manzanilla is bone-dry, as dry as a glass of gin. PX is at the most extreme levels of residual sugar per litre. Tokaji’s highest range is Aszúeszencia at 180-260 grams per liter. PX is also within the same ball-park, often even sweeter.
A conversation about Sherry can therefore lead to some confusion. It reminds me of the cartoon of the blind man and the elephant. Who knows which part of the elephant someone is grasping on to if the only term used is as broad as the word “Sherry”.
PX is the eponymous name for this style. The grape flourishes across Jerez and further east into Montilla-Moriles DO just south of Córdoba.
A high yielding grape with thick skins and natural low acidity, to achieve a sweet wine, the fruit is dried to lower the quantity of water and by extension increase the residual sugar. This practice is known as asoleo in Jerez where the fruit is laid out, traditionally on straw mats, to dry in the hot summer sun straight after the harvest.
Typically, the dried grapes show notes of dried fruits. The fermentation is stopped through fortification to 15% ABV. The wine is then aged in the solera adding further complexity and allowing the wine’s flavours and structure to mellow and integrate.
Diatomists PX is aged for 5 years in a solera over 100 years old. Residual sugar is at 260 grams per litre. Believe it or not, this is on the “drier” side for a PX made in Jerez. The wine is noticeably fresher and with higher acidity than most examples on the market.
On the palate, Diatomists PX is cushioned and velvety, with sufficient acidity to prevent the wine from being corpulent or cloying. The richness of raisons, dates, figs come from the fruit and the asoleo process. 5 years in bota blending with the solera method adds further complexity with coffee, chocolate and vanilla. The finish is endless and ethereal. There is the added nuance of sweet spice on the finish, clove and nutmeg especially.
All the Sherry styles are quite unique in their flavour profile. None is truer than PX which cannot really be compared to any other drink. In an Anton-Ego-esque nostalgia, the first tasting of our Diatomist PX took me straight back to my grandmother’s Christmas pudding when I was a child. It is both comforting and enthralling at the same time. A wine like no other.
Pairings of such an incomparable liquid are therefore quite interesting. Vanilla ice cream is a famous combination which is as easy to make as it is delectable (and a firm favourite of our co-founder Tommy). Another top match is the magnificent marriage of PX with blue cheese, particularly Stichelton. The salty, creamy cheese pairs perfectly with the sweet, unctuous PX. It has to be one of the best experiences there is in the wine/food pantheon.
Our half bottles work beautifully with PX as the wine has such power and persistence that you only need a few sips. It is also versatile, allowing pairings at a meal with one particular course. A half bottle with the cheese board has to be one of the great luxuries. Like all great foods or drinks the experience is so profound that only a small amount is needed. The length and intensity last for hours afterwards.
One thing Manzanilla and PX do have in common, other than both being called Sherries, is that they benefit from being chilled. As with all our styles, the wine should be cooled in the fridge before serving and this is especially true with PX which benefits from the lighter touch of a lower temperature. We would recommend chilling to between 10-12 degrees.
Despite the wine being in a half bottle and prone to being consumed in one sitting, PX will store well in the fridge for up to a fortnight. For those who take their time to saviour a wine over several days this is the bottle for you. As the Jerezanos always say themselves, “Sherry is to be taken in small quantities, frequently”.