Alvear 3 Miradas Paraje de Río Frio 2019 (750ml) *

Pedro Ximénez is best known for turning into dark, syrupy dessert wine, so a bottling that stays bone dry is worth a second look. This is exactly that: a single-site expression from Alvear in Montilla-Moriles, in Andalucia, made entirely from Pedro Ximénez in the 2019 vintage. It ages under a veil of flor, the same living yeast layer that shapes fino Sherry, with no fortification, spending nine months in amphorae before fifteen more in old American oak.

The aromatics run toward the savory and nutty, saffron and hazelnut, cashew and toasted almond, with just a whisper of caramel underneath. On the palate it is fully dry and lean, no sweetness at all, finishing warm with a chalky grip that lingers. A genuine Mediterranean curiosity, and a rewarding one for anyone who thinks they already know what this grape does.