First Pedro Ximenez

[Scheiny S]

i love port and i have a few friends who drink it with me and i had my first madeira a few months ago. i'd also like to learn about sherry but i don't know anyone who drinks it.

i picked up a bottle of Osborne Pedro Ximenez because it was on sale. i've read that PX will last "indefinitely" once it's opened. but this bottle has a twist cap. can it be trusted or should i reseal it with a cork from a wine bottle or a plastic capped stopper from a port bottle? i don't have a vacuum wine sealer.

[Andy Velebil]

The twist cap will have a seal inside the top so it will seal as good or better than a cork seal. You can keep using the original twist off cap without issue. As for lasting, I wouldn't say "forever" but PX won't degrade in a very short time frame as a regular Port would as PX is already an oxidized wine. Your basic inexpensive PX should last for a couple months without significant issue if stored in a cool place like your fridge.

[Glenn E.]

Think of a PX as an aged Tawny Port like a 30-yr old or 40-yr old. They'll easily last 3-4 weeks on the counter (assuming you don't drink them!), and as Andy said they'll last a couple of months in the fridge.

The screw cap is fine, or if you want you can switch to a t-stopper. All you're really trying to do is keep dust/bugs out, so either will be sufficient.

By the way, those vacuum sealers are pretty worthless. You're not actually creating a true vacuum (the bottle wouldn't be able to handle it anyway), so there's still plenty of air in the empty space with which the wine can react. Plus the bulk of the "damage" is done when you first open the bottle and pour out a glass - that churns a large amount of air and oxygen into the bottle and wine, and it will continue to react with just that oxygen for quite a while. So save your money, they're just gimmicks.

[Scheiny S]

Your basic inexpensive PX should last for a couple months without significant issue if stored in a cool place like your fridge.

i hadn't planned to store it in the fridge, there probably wouldn't be room. i was going to leave it in the coolest part of the basement, which probably stays around 60 degrees [F], which is where i keep unopened bottles of port, wine, beer, etc.
how long will the PX 'last' in that case?

how long could i store madiera in the same place after opening?

[Glenn E.]

i hadn't planned to store it in the fridge, there probably wouldn't be room. i was going to leave it in the coolest part of the basement, which probably stays around 60 degrees [F], which is where i keep unopened bottles of port, wine, beer, etc.
how long will the PX 'last' in that case?

That's cool enough, so it should be good for a month or more in that location. That's effectively cellar temp (only a little bit warmer).

how long could i store madiera in the same place after opening?

Forever.

I have a bottle of RWC New York Malmsey that has been open on my half-size refrigerator in my living room for... 6 years? 7 years? It's still good. I just put about 1/3 of a bottle of a 1964 Blandy's Malvasia next to it and will perform the same experiment with it. I don't expect any change for years.

Madeira is basically indestructible. They do their best to ruin it while making it, so leaving it sitting out in a human-friendly environment is nothing.

[Scheiny S]

thanks so much! i'm so glad to have a place to ask questions.

[Roy Hersh]

You are getting great advice from our two admins!

I've had a couple of sips of an excellent very early 1800s Madeira. The owner asked for my impressions, then leveled the question: "how long would you guess it has been open." I was way off with my guess. The answer was, "9 years".

Pedro Ximenez is a friend of mine. I've enjoyed it for almost 20 years now. It is sturdy and will hold nicely. Not nearly as long as Madeira (without undergoing significant changes) but a good bottling will certainly have no issue going for a year or more.

[Carl D]

Phyllis and I have gotten into Pedro Ximenez over the last few years - I'm pretty sure it was Roy that first mentioned PX in some post on this forum years ago that piqued my interest. In fact, when I came lurking on the forums earlier tonight, I saw Roy's post about lurkers and then this one about PX - I actually came looking for a thread on PX, remarkably enough. Some time later while poking around at Corti Brothers in Sacramento I spotted some PX and brought one home to try out.

First I must say - I do love a good old VP or Colheita, but I gotta tell you, the first time I had a 30 year old PX (Noe, from Gonzalez Byass), I was blown away - I had no idea that anything that could be called "wine" could have that intensity of flavor or a finish that just doesn't stop. Tokaji Essencia or 75 year old Tawny ports come close, but in my (still limited) experience, nothing tops a good PX for length of finish.

We currently have a bottle of "El Candado" - a basic 10 year PX sitting open on our counter. It's been open for a couple months, with most of that time spent in the fridge. It's still fine - goes great with an intensely spiced gingerbread cake that Phyllis makes from time to time.

[Scheiny S]

you and Phyllis sound delightful! i'm glad there was a thread on PX for you! i still haven't tried mine. do you know anything about Osborne? this one was $15, it's not aged and i'm sure it's nothing exciting.

i've tried only a few sherries, but i think they may be my real love. do you drink other styles as well, or only PX? i need to find a medium Oloroso and Amontillado, i've only had dry and i think a little sweetness is what i need to be completely bowled over. i have an open bottle of Lustau East India right now, it's a little too sweet [though not sweet enough to have over vanilla ice cream, i tried that!] i know the PX will be sweeter and i'm excited to try it, but i think the 'medium' will just hit the perfect intersection of flavors for me.

i wish there were a forum like this for sherry! i found a website called SherryNotes.com that has lots of reviews butno forum. this forum is terribly helpful. maybe i just need a few more active sherry fans posting in this section.

[Glenn E.]

We currently have a bottle of "El Candado" - a basic 10 year PX sitting open on our counter. It's been open for a couple months, with most of that time spent in the fridge. It's still fine - goes great with an intensely spiced gingerbread cake that Phyllis makes from time to time.

I still have 2 of those in the dining room... it also goes great poured over French Vanilla ice cream!

[Scheiny S]

SherryNotes.com DOES have a forum now! but no TN section. and very, very few posts and users. they could learn a thing or two from FtLoP.