Fernando de Castilla Antique Pedro Ximenez

Tasting Note
Contains all the drama and intensity you would expect from a 20 year old plus, 500g/l sugar PX, and you can drink it too. There is coffee, liquorice, sweet tobacco, prunes, figs, raisins, tea and a dozen other fleeting scents with a surprising lightness and delicacy. An incredible, seductive, luscious and wonderful sherry.

Producer Details
One of the most exceptional of the small, independent sherry houses, Fernando de Castilla was revitalised in 1999 by Jan Pettersen - a Norwegian with a passion for top quality sherry, and 15 years experience at Osborne. After taking over the cellars of the Sherry shipper Jose Bustamante, located next door to the main facilities of Fernando de Castilla, Jan quickly established Fernando de Castilla as masters of the production and ageing of fine, unblended, untreated Sherries. The bodega's reputation is based on the excellence of the Antique range of intensely pure and complex single solera Sherries whose award winning packaging makes them even more impressive. The Antique Palo Cortado was awarded 'Best Dry Fortified Trophy' at the 2011 New Wave Spanish Wine Awards, whilst the Antique Amontillado scooped the trophy for ‘Dry Fortified over £10’ at the 2011 Decanter World Wine Awards.

In The Vineyard
Pedro Ximénez grapes are harvested and dried for up to 2 days in the hot September Spanish sun.

In The Winery
Fernando de Castilla deals only in prestigious, premium wines. The sherries are all from individual soleras. They are bottled without blending, cold stabilization or filtration of any kind in order to preserve the subtlety, purity and distinctive aromas of these premium wines. The products are all bottled in clear glass to show off the wonderful colour of these wines. After fortification ageing takes place in a solera system. The initial wine has a sugar content of around 300 grams per litre and is very concentrated. Having spent a long period, around 20-30 years, in barrels the final sugar content of the Antique PX is around 450 g per litre and the colour has developed over a period from a dark mahogany into an intense black.

Food Recommendations
Ideal with chocolates and chocolate based desserts, ice creams and pastries as well as certain cheeses. Best served at 10-12 degrees Centigrade.