Carl Linder is a lifelong champion of old vines and fortified

a wine to which alcohol, usually in the form of grape brandy, has been added during or after fermentation

wines - and it is with extremely old (X.O.) Pedro Ximénez vines that his family began vinifying and fortifying this wine in 1944. While Pedro Ximénez is a white grape typically found in Spain (Jerez) for Sherry production, it is a rarity to find it in the Barossa Valley of Australia. Because of the the way these wines are aged in the traditional solera

A unique and rather complex system of maturation using a large number of casks and fractional blending.

system, there will alway remain a small amount of the oldest juice in the solera barrels. So, while the average age of the wine in this bottling is an average of 30 years old, some of the juice may be older, some younger. The high acidity

Acids occur naturally in grapes, with acidity in a wine referring to its tartness level. It creates a mouthwatering sensation in the mouth and plays a vital role in providing structure and balance in a wine. Wines without enough acidity are often referred to as "flabby" (water, for example, lacks acidity).

in this fortified wine helps to balance the unctuous sweetness

Sweetness in a wine can result from residual sugar (RS) which is the unfermented grape sugars left over in the wine after fermentation has completed, or it can result from the addition of concentrated grape must prior to bottling in the case of sparkling wine production.

and rich flavors -- for a decadent, yet refreshing pairing with dessert, cheeses, and select savory bites.