What you've got here is the Bodegas Dios Baco "Oxford 1.970" Pedro Ximenez. But, before we get into that, let's take a few steps back. So to get you started, Sherry is a specific type of wine from a specific region in southern Spain, namely the "Sherry" region (also spelled Xerez & Jerez). Sherry, in general, is a fortified style of dessert wine made from white grapes. Sherrys can range from pale & dry (Fino) to rich & dark (Oloroso).
Sherry producers become well-known for their "house styles" largely due to their Solera system. To try to explain this quickly, imagine a large stack of wine barrels, stacked like a pyramid. Each year, you draw sherry from the bottom barrels to get bottled and sold. To re-fill that bottom row, you then pull sherry from each of the barrels above it. Then to fill those barrels, you pull from the barrels stacked above. You work your way all to the top in this pyramidal trickle-down system, where to then add this year's wine to the very top. This creates a system of blending where, in theory, each bottle you fill still has a small portion of the oldest sherry in the system. Click here to see a diagram of the Solera System
So, back to the wine at-hand. This is a bottle of the Pedro Ximenez from the Bodegas Dios Baco. If I understand it correctly, this bottle is part of the Solera system that was started back in 1970. Generally speaking, sherries are not dated with a vintage, so we're guessing that's what the 1.970 is referring to. The name of the grape is Pedro Ximenez, which is traditionally dried like a raisin before being fermented into wine. This traditionally makes a darker, richer, and usually sweeter style of sherry.
This Oxford 1.970 bottle is the darkest colored sherry I've ever seen. It pours out initially looking like a slightly aged port wine. Rather than a dark red/ruby color like port tends toward, this is a little more brown/rust color, especially around the edges. When I swirl in the glass the Oxford 1.970 clings to the side of the glass for a long time, showing me the subtle hints of brown coloration.
The nose reveals a slightly sweeter wine, with lots of tiny nuances. There is hints of toffee and butterscotch, as well as some minor notes of caramel, chocolate, and molasses. Once I take a sip, I realize how sweet the Oxford really is. It's not as sweet as some dessert wines can be, I think only because the acidity is substantial enough to wash the sugar off my tongue. I'm getting the complexity on the palate that my nose detected also. It reminds me very much of a unique port, with an interesting blend of chocolate, toffee, caramel, butterscotch, and even some sweet raisins.
Actually this wine reminded me so much of a port, that I tried to play a little trick on Ron. Ron has been saying for the past several weeks that he "doesn't like sherry", though I'm not sure if he's ever tried it. So when he walked in the store today, I said to him "hey Ron, I can't remember, do you like ports?" and handed him the glass. He took a sniff and a sip and replied "That's good, I like that." When I told him it was a sherry he didn't believe me. Now that I've been sitting here typing this for the past ten minutes or so, he's come over and taken at least two more sips!
So, for all you folks that don't think you like sherry, it's worth giving a try! Stop by, let me show you the variety, and maybe we can find something you'll enjoy. Then you too can "Join the Revolution!"
Bodegas Dios Baco
Oxford 1.970 Pedro Ximenez Sherry
TCSH Rating - 9.5/10
Aka - Delicious & Inexpensive makes this a winner in my book!
Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum
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