Valdespino Pedro Ximénez El Candado 375ml NV

93 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Offers layers of macerated date, ganache, warm caraway, buckwheat honey and chocolate-covered orange peel notes, with a deep, intense finish that lets a wonderfully smoky hint curl through. The power is obvious, the range and definition more subtle.

93 POINTS

Peter Moser - Falstaff

Intense mahogany, fine ochre reflections on the rim. On the nose, chocolate-accented nuances of raisins and dried figs, a touch of honey and background cedary oak notes. Complex, subtle savoury nuances, elegantly structured with pleasant sweetness of nougat and fig on the long finish.

92 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The NV Pedro Ximénez Sherry El Candado from Valdespino is a guilty pleasure. Heady on the nose, it offers entrancing aromas of kirsch, blood orange, fig jam and Medjool dates that don’t hold back. Likewise, the palate is viscous on the entry, intense and with seductive sweet fig and date notes, yet the acidity maintains balance and freshness. Wonderful.

90 POINTS

Wine Spectator

Thick and packed with fig paste, prune, fruitcake and salty licorice aromas and flavors. This is heady as well, but reins it all in on the finish.

90 POINTS

Luis Gutierrez - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The NV El Candado Pedro Ximenez, produced from sun-dried Pedro Ximenez grapes for two weeks, and aged in a solera for an average of 8-10 years, is bottled with 400 grams of sugar and 17% alcohol. Mahogany color, the nose is a symphony of candied, dried fruits, raisins, figs and dates. The palate is clean, very sweet and spicy, and should be consumed quite fresh (10 degreess C), with chocolate dessert (or as a dessert in itself). Drink 2013-2015. I’ve often called Valdespino “the Romanee-Conti of Jerez.” Well, there, I’ve said it. To me they represent quality and tradition at the very top of the Sherry hierarchy. The winery, soleras and brands are old, registered in 1875, but with documentation about their commercial and winegrowing activities going back to the 13th century. Their recent history starts in 1999, when Jose Estevez purchases the company from the Valdespino family. Today Valdespino is the jewel in the crown of the Grupo Estevez, which also includes Real Tesoro and La Guita, who stock and age 35,000 botas of Sherry and own 800 hectares of vineyards, 56 of which come from the Pago Macharnudo, on pure white albariza soil, one of the best vineyards in the Marco de Jerez, and 17 hectares from the heart of Macharnudo are still fermented in bota today and form the core of brands like Inocente, Tio Diego, CP or Cardenal. All the wines were carefully and slowly moved to the new facilities of the Grupo Estevez on the outskirts of Jerez, where they continue their development under the supervision of Eduardo Ojeda, technical director, winemaker, who as a wine-lover is very aware of his role preserving these old soleras, wines and traditions.

Zekun Shuai - JamesSuckling.com

Concentrated, simple nose of pure, sweet sultanas, licorice and cough syrup. Unctuous and extremely sweet. Luscious and thick with a cloying finish. Sip a small glass of it now or mix it into a cocktail.

Joaquin Hidalgo - Vinous

The NV Pedro Ximénez El Candado is aged oxidatively. Dried apricot, ra