Don Guido, a 20 year-old Pedro Ximénez (VOS) from the Jerez-based winery Williams & Humbert has been named Wine of the Year at the International Wine & Spirits Competition “Sommelier Challenge 2019”. This award is the result of a blind tasting by 15 prestigious American sommeliers, three of them “Master Sommelier”, after assessing over 1,000 different wine references from different parts of the world.
This sweet sherry is obtained from Pedro Ximénez grapes grown in Pago de Balbaína, a Jerez Superior vineyard zone. The grapes are dried under the sun for 15 days in the open almijares area of the vineyard. Musts are obtained at high pressure from the raison-like grapes produced from this process, using special presses, and fortified to 9º. After decanting and racking off once the first cooling is complete, they are fortified to 18º and moved to the Criaderas and Solera system to begin a physical-chemical aging process by oxidation during at least 20 years.
Don Guido is a sherry which is a dark ebony in colour, very dense and slightly syrupy, with aromas of raisins and fig characteristic of Pedro Ximénez grapes and a wide range of balsamic notes. On the palate it is slightly acidic, very sweet and persistent, leaving an exquisite sweetness in the mouth and a long-lasting bouquet. It is an ideal wine to be consumed with desserts and cheese.

Don Guido PX has an important role to play in the production of Dos Maderas rum from Bodegas Williams & Humbert. This blend of 5 year-old rums from Guyana and Barbados is aged for 3 years in American oak casks previously used to age 20 year-old Dos Cortados. In the third phase of production it is aged for a further 2 years in casks previously used to age Don Guido, our 20 year-old Pedro Ximénez, and the final product is Ron Dos Maderas 5+5 PX.
The name of this emblematic sherry from the Williams & Humbert winery in Jerez pays homage to Guido Williams, son of the founder of the winery, Alexander Williams and his wife Amy Humbert. This Pedro Ximénez therefore honours somebody who was of great relevance in the Jerez region. Guy Williams (known as Guido) was born in Jerez in 1889 and always held on to deep-rooted British traditions. He was educated in England, but in 1911 his father asked him to return to Spain and join the family business together with his brothers, Arthur and Charles. Guido Williams fought in the First World War with the rank of Captain and suffered wounds that left him with permanent lung damage. For his bravery at the front he was awarded the Military Cross of the Order of the British Empire. After the war he worked for the British Embassy and later joined the family business, occupying at the same time the position of Vice Consul until his death in 1959.