Barbadillo Jopo de Lobo: Organic Pedro Ximénez

Montse Molina, winemaker at Barbadillo, told me to serve it cold, six to eight degrees. I chill PX myself, but this was colder than I am used to. Her reason: with all that sugar, a lower temperature makes the mouth “less big”.

Jopo de Lobo is an organic Pedro Ximénez from sun-dried grapes, 15% ABV according to the label, in a half bottle of 0.375 litres. I tasted it third in Sparks 41, after Sábalo and the Salicornia.

The conversation about this wine starts at 29:52 on YouTube.

How it is made

All the sugar comes from the grape. The grapes lie in the sun, the water leaves and the sugar concentrates. According to Granada Wijnen they dry for twenty days and the wine holds 420 grams of sugar per litre. Then they press, ferment briefly, fortify to 15% and age the wine in an oxidative solera with full casks. There is no flor here, and that is the big difference from Salicornia. According to Barbadillo the name comes from a threatened plant on the Andalusian red list.

The sources disagree on the ageing. Montse says four to five years. Barbadillo’s own release from August 2023 and the shop say three years in American oak. Three may be a minimum; I could not check. I go with the winemaker’s figure.

In the glass

Very rich, dark fruit, some blossom, coffee and toffee. The nose is heavy, yet there is freshness. Montse says it reminds her of morning coffee, and that comes from the oxidative ageing. Granada Wijnen lists raisin, plum, orange peel, chocolate and hazelnut.

For food, Montse suggests something spicy. The wine calms the heat, and the heat makes the sugar feel lighter. I put rich French cheeses next to it. Granada Wijnen suggests chocolate, mocha cake and a splash of PX over orange ice cream.

Two reservations

It is a half bottle. €15.95 for 0.375 litres works out at €31.90 for a full-size equivalent. Keep that in mind before you compare the price with other PX.

And it is very sweet. One glass is enough for most people. If you do not drink sweet wine, do not start here. If you do, you get an organic PX with freshness on the nose.

Where to buy

Producer

Bodegas Barbadillo

Wine

Jopo de Lobo Pedro Ximénez, organic

Region

Sanlúcar de Barrameda, DO Sherry

Grape

Pedro Ximénez

Alcohol

15% (label)

Sugar

420 g per litre (Granada Wijnen)

Ageing

Oxidative solera; 3 years per release and shop, 4 to 5 years per Montse

Volume

0.375 l

Price

€15.95

Importer

Granada Wijnen

Use code SherryGW10 for 10% off in the Granada Wijnen webshop, valid until 1 January 2027. I earn nothing from the code.

Serve it cold, with something spicy.

The bottle was sent by the importer, Granada Wijnen. No payment, my judgement is my own.

Sources

• Barbadillo, Jopo de Lobo (3-8-2023)
• Granada Wijnen, Jopo de Lobo
• Sparks 41, transcript