R. Parker (97/100)
The 1980 Don PX Selección is said to come from a warm and dry year that favored the raisining of the Pedro Ximénez grapes. This has lots of candied fruit and spice and combines the 17% alcohol with a whopping 340 grams of residual sugar. This aged in American oak butts until its bottling in September 2018. It surprised me with a complex and somewhat savory nose, reminiscent of bitter chocolate, licorice and roasted coffee, carob beans and black pepper. It's super concentrated, dense and pungent, with a savory component, meaning the sugar is not as noticeable as you might think. It came through as complex and layered, very complete and intense.
James Suckling (94/100)
Prunes, sweet dates, dried violets, ashtray, smoked meat, dark chocolate, licorice syrup and tar on the nose. This is super silky and smooth, with luscious fruit. Concentrated and sweet but svelte and drinkable.