Perez Barquero

Perez Barquero is a historic winery in Montilla, Spain, renowned for its cathedral-like architecture and high-quality wines. This is a completely different part of Andalucia, much further inland from the traditional “sherry triangle”. Here the Grape Pedro Ximenez is king. The winery features high-ceilinged, silent aging halls where roughly 10,000 American oak barrels are stacked in the traditional Criadera and Solera system. A distinctive feature is its collection of large clay tinajas (earthenware jars), some holding up to 10,000 litres, used for fermentation and producing the traditional "Fresquito" wine. Their 140 hectares of vineyards are located in the prestigious Sierra de Montilla and Moriles Alto zones, characterised by white, chalky "albariza" soil that retains moisture during the region's hot, dry summers. The winery focuses almost exclusively on Pedro Ximénez grapes, which reach high natural sugar levels (over 15% alcohol) and, in most cases, do not require fortification.  With reserves of remarkably old wines, this is one of the few Spanish wineries to have achieved the maximum 100-point score from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate multiple times.