There are not many wineries that have built their success by focusing on just one grape variety, let alone one that has been almost permanently out of fashion, but that is precisely what Bodegas Ximénez-Spínola have done since 1729.

Working solely with Pedro Ximénez, they produce a selection of fascinating dry wines, dessert wines and sherries that bring all of their 300 years of experience to bear.

Jerez, in Andalucía’s far south-west, forms a triangle between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. The climate is hot Mediterranean moderated by the Atlantic: the cool, humid poniente breeze tempers summer heat, while the dry, scorching levante can accelerate ripening. Rain falls mainly in winter; long, bright summers and low humidity in the bodegas favour maturation. Soils are crucial: brilliant white albariza (chalky limestone with marl) stores winter moisture and feeds vines through drought, while barros (clay) and arenas (sandy) are used more sparingly.

Palomino Fino is the workhorse for dry sherry; Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Moscatel provide naturally sweet wines and blending material. Sherry is raised in seasoned oak via the solera and criadera system, where fractional blending preserves freshness and complexity. Biological ageing under flor yields Fino (and, from Sanlúcar, Manzanilla): bone-dry, saline and delicate, with green apple, almond, chamomile and a sea-breeze edge. When flor dies and oxidative ageing takes over, styles deepen: Amontillado bridges both worlds with hazelnut, citrus peel and savoury tang; Oloroso is fuller and purely oxidative—walnut, toffee, leather and spice. Palo Cortado offers Oloroso depth with Amontillado lift—silky, nutty, orange-zest and fine bitterness. PX and Moscatel are sundried to concentrate sugars, producing unctuous, raisined wines with coffee, fig and molasses notes; they also sweeten Cream and Medium styles. Across the range, Jerez wines combine precision, umami-rich complexity and remarkable versatility at the table.

Pedro Ximénez (often abbreviated as PX) is a historic white grape variety best known for producing some of Spain’s richest and sweetest wines, particularly in the Andalusian regions of Montilla-Moriles and Jerez. It is believed to have originated in southern Spain and thrives in hot, dry climates with abundant sunshine, making it ideally suited to the sun-baked vineyards of southern Iberia.

PX is most famously associated with the production of luscious dessert wines. In Jerez, grapes are sun-dried (a process known as asoleo) to concentrate sugars before being fortified and aged in the solera system. In Montilla-Moriles, PX wines are often made without fortification due to the grape's naturally high sugar and alcohol potential.

Aromatically, Pedro Ximénez wines are intensely sweet and complex, offering notes of dried fig, raisin, molasses, toffee, coffee, and chocolate, often balanced by tangy acidity in finer examples. Dry versions of PX, though rare, can show nutty, saline, and floral characteristics.

Viticulturally, PX is a delicate grape. It is early ripening but susceptible to disease and rot, particularly in humid conditions. It also requires careful handling during drying and fermentation. Despite these challenges, PX remains essential to Spain’s vinous heritage, producing wines with exceptional richness, depth, and ageing potential.