1943 Toro Albala Don PX Gines Liebana 200ml, Montilla-Moriles Andalucia

15% ABV. The oldest, most concentrated, nuanced and serious from the range of single-harvest sweet wines I tasted this time was the 1943 Don PX Ginés Liébana, which comes from six butts that had been aging in the cellars without being blended. It has 15% alcohol and a whopping 440 grams of sugar, but the truth is, it doesn't come through as that sweet. It's super concentrated, layered and complex, thick and dense, like honey. This is the more serious and canonical, dare I say it, closer to the Jerez style of the old single-harvest PX here this time. This is more austere and conventional but very good indeed. 1,800 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2022.

97 points, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate 

From one of the most extraordinary corners of the Toro Albalá cellars, the 1943 Don PX Ginés Liébana is less a wine and more a piece of living history. Named in honour of the artist who collaborated with the winery, this rare release comes from ancient casks where Pedro Ximénez has been slowly evolving for decades, concentrating into something deeply complex and almost timeless.

The aromatics are immense and captivating. Layers of raisin, fig and date are wrapped in molasses, espresso and dark chocolate, with burnt orange peel adding lift. With this level of age, the wine moves well into tertiary territory, walnut, antique wood, old leather and a profound rancio character that gives it a savoury, almost umami like depth.

It unfolds slowly and luxuriously, thick and viscous, coating everything in waves of flavour. The sweetness is powerful but beautifully controlled, balanced by a gentle bitterness and a thread of freshness that keeps it from feeling heavy. Toffee, coffee, caramelised nuts and spice seem to echo endlessly through the finish.

This is a wine to take your time with. Blue cheese is a natural partner, but it is just as compelling with roasted nuts, dark chocolate or simply on its own in small pours at the end of a meal.

Fully mature and in remarkable condition, it will hold for years once opened if stored carefully, though bottles like this tend to disappear quickly once shared.

There’s a sense of occasion here, a wine that goes beyond flavour and into something more reflective, shaped by decades of patience and care.