Bodegas Toro Albala is one of the Top 100 Spanish Gold Wineries of the 21st century, located right in Cordoba’s charming countryside in the Montilla-Moriles region. It was established in 1922 by Jose María Toro Albalá, but its roots date back to an estate that was founded in 1844 by Albalá's grandfather, Antonio Sánchez Prieto. One of the first to produce single-variety bottlings of Pedro Ximenez, today they are world-renowned for the varietal, offering some of the best examples including vintage dated, single-vineyard releases.

Their Pedro Ximenez wines stand out for their unrivalled artisanal nature: from their extended oak aging (some dating back to before the Spanish Civil War), to their handcrafted labels. An endless number of international awards and reviews endorse these wines which have already conquered many international markets.

Antonio Sanchez Romero, oenologist and owner of the company, aims to preserve the highest quality standards established by his predecessors at Bodegas Toro Albala. In addition to wine, Romero introduced aged vinegar, and Arrope syrup made from the Pedro Ximenez grape to the portfolio.

The 1980 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Selección is a notable Pedro Ximenez wine hailing from the Montilla Moriles sub-region in Andalucia, Spain. Produced by Bodegas Toro Albala, this white wine, despite its classification, presents a rich and deep profile typical of well-aged Pedro Ximenez wines. It is bottled with a traditional cork closure and contains an alcohol content of 17.0%.

This particular vintage is distinguished by its origin in a warm and dry year, conditions that facilitated the raisining of the Pedro Ximenez grapes, leading to an exceptional concentration of sugars and flavors. The wine boasts an impressive residual sugar level of 340 grams per liter, which, combined with its alcohol content, results in a profile that is both powerful and intriguing.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate awarded the 1980 Don PX Selección a high score of 97 points. Reviewer Luis Gutiérrez described the wine as having “lots of candied fruit and spice,” noting its aging process in American oak butts until its bottling in September 2018. The complexity of the wine is highlighted by a nose that evokes “bitter chocolate, licorice and roasted coffee, carob beans and black pepper.” Despite its high sugar content, Gutiérrez remarked on the wine’s “super concentrated, dense and pungent” nature, with a savory component that makes the sugar less prominent than one might expect.

The wine’s depth and layers are emphasized throughout the review, with Gutiérrez concluding that it is “complex and layered, very complete and intense.” This vintage produced 4,600 bottles and 60 magnums, making it a relatively rare find for enthusiasts and collectors.

In summary, the 1980 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Selección is a remarkable example of a Pedro Ximenez wine, combining high sugar concentration with a complex, savory profile. Its excellent reviews, particularly the 97 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, underscore its status as a distinguished and highly sought-after vintage.