Bodegas Tradicion Pedro Ximenez VOS
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Spectator
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Parker
Robert
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This sensual sweet wine results from selected, sun-dried white PX grapes. It is aged in the traditional Solera system for decades in seasoned oak barrels, after which it becomes unctuous and velvety, with lovely balancing acidity.
Served chilled, it is divine with chocolate everything, vanilla ice cream, or aged blue cheese. This pure wine is not blended, carmelized, fined or chill-filtered.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Supremely thick, with a syrupy feel to the buckwheat, toasted brown bread, warm date and molten chocolate notes. Not tiring or top-heavy, this offers singed walnut, almond, fig paste and Turkish coffee details that impart energy through the finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The NV Tradicion Pedro Ximenez 20 anos VOS, produced from Pedro Ximenez grapes and aged in a solera for an average of 23-25 years (which was originally purchased from Domecq & Harveys), is bottled ‘young’ to preserve the character of the grapes and make it more drinkable. The alcohol is also kept at the allowed minimum of 15%. It lacks the rancio notes of others, and is looking for the balance between age and fruit, raisins, dates, dried plums, cappuccino coffee, and licorice while following the clean and precise profile of all the wines they produce. The palate is equally balanced and elegant.
The origins of Bodegas Tradicion are based on “Bodega CZ, J.M. Rivero”, the oldest of the sherry houses known, with business dated back in 1650. J.M. Rivero was, by appointment, supplier of the Royal Houses of Spain and Portugal and the winery obtained many different international rewards.
The man who started the business was Mr. Diego Cabeza de Aranda y Zarco, who run the winery until Mr. Francisco Antonio de la Tixera joined him as a partner. The brand name CZ corresponds to the initials of the last names of the founder, and as the daughter of Mr. De la Tixera married Mr. Joaquín María Rivero y González, the winery was renamed as Bodegas J.M. Rivero keeping CZ as the main brand name.
The winery became a very successful business during the 19th century, and in 1855 the property had 3.188 wine casks and worldwide known brands, such as Solera Cabeza 1770, Tixera 1783, Trafalgar 1805, Viejo Oloroso C.Z, Pedro Ximénez del Carnero, San Enrique, Moscatel Menudo P.A.R., Pajarete Menchaca , Fino Viña del Barco, Fino Rivero, Mantecoso, Amontillado el Gallo, Brandy el Gallo, Brandy Montesión and Brandy Trafalgar.
Bodegas J.M. Rivero were sold in 1991 to another wine merchant, and immediately after Mr. Joaquín Rivero started planning the reinstatement of the family tradition through a new wine house and a different strategy: “The name Tradicion responds to a double requirement: continuance to the family wine business and a comeback of the traditional styles and the processes in the making of Jerez wines”.
With this aim an old sherry warehouse was acquired and after restoration of the warehouse the first casks arrived to Bodegas Tradición. Pursuing of the best soleras at the time was the main objective of the company, as well as sourcing old and first-rate American oak casks to keep the wines which were selected by the team of experts who were hired to work in Bodegas Tradicion.
Mr. Jose Ignacio Domecq Fernández de Bobadilla, former oenologist from Domecq, and son of one of the most famous oenologists from the golden age of sherry, Mr. José Ignacio Domecq González -“The Nose”- was hired to select the wines to be purchased and to create the Tradicion Styles. Along with Mr. Domecq, Mr. José Blandino, their foreman, with almost 50 years of experience in Domecq was hired as well, in order to select the casks and to make all the necessary arrangements in the house to set up the soleras.
In 2007 a new warehouse was acquired next to the original ones, named Rincón Malillo, which will be housing their newest release, Fino Tradicion, a new solera which is being developed and will hold approximately 400 casks.
Sherry is a fortified wine that comes in many styles from dry to sweet. True Sherry can only be made in Andalucía, Spain where the soil and unique seasonal changes give a particular character to its wines. The process of production—not really the grape—determine the type, though certain types are reserved for certain grapes. Palomino is responsible for most dry styles; Pedro Ximénez and Muscat of Alexandria are used for blending or for sweet styles.
Known more formally as Jerez de la Frontera, Jerez is a city in Andalucía in southwest Spain and the center of the Jerez region and sherry production. Sherry is a mere English corruption of the term Jerez, while in French, Jerez is written, Xérès. Manzanilla is the freshest style of sherry, naturally derived from the seaside town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.