The year was characteristically hot and dry. The winter weather was normal in terms of temperatures, and there was an absence of rain. With the arrival of spring, bud-break occurred in warm, dry conditions which set in for a long period, only interrupted by a brief episode of rain in April. This resulted in an early bud-break with marked water deficit stress in the vines which continued throughout the summer in hot weather with extreme temperature highs being reached during the three heat-waves that occurred in June, July and August. These conditions led to a smaller than usual crop size for the region. However, the small size of the berries and bunches ensured a vintage of good quality.

De-stemming and pressing to allow spontaneous fermentation to take place in barrels and stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged 14 months in 225-litre French oak barrels, followed by 5 months in bottle before release onto the market.

While on vacation to visit La Mancha’s emblematic windmills that inspired Cervantes to write Don Quixote, Alejandro was surprised to discover 100-year-old, head-pruned Tempranillo (aka Cencibel) vines amidst a sea of white Airén grapes. Convinced he must undertake one last bodegain the historic village of Campo de Criptanain La Mancha, El Vínculo was born. By signing long-term leases with the town’s three best grape growers, and carefully controlling both the yield (50% of fruit is dropped each year) and harvest time (his grapes are harvested two weeks on average after the rest), Alejandro ensured that both the Airénand Tempranillo grapes he had discovered in La Mancha could result in wines that achieve his standards of excellence.

100% Airén Alcohol 14%

The year got off to a cold start, and spring followed suit but with very heavy rainfall, too. Warm weather was slow to arrive and didn’t actually turn up until August. With the accumulation of water in the soils, a large crop was produced, while the absence of heat caused a delay in the vine cycle. However, warm weather inSeptember helped the grapes to complete their ripening and reach optimal levels of quality. This delay in the vine cycle meant that the harvest was carried out at abnormally late dates for the region.

De-stemming and pressing to allow spontaneous fermentation to take place in barrels and stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged 18 months in 225-litre French oak barrels, followed by 6 months in bottle before release onto the market.

While on vacation to visit La Mancha’s emblematic windmills that inspired Cervantes to write Don Quixote, Alejandro was surprised to discover 100-year-old, head-pruned Tempranillo (aka Cencibel) vines amidst a sea of white Airén grapes. Convinced he must undertake one last bodegain the historic village of Campo de Criptanain La Mancha, El Vínculo was born. By signing long-term leases with the town’s three best grape growers, and carefully controlling both the yield (50% of fruit is dropped each year) and harvest time (his grapes are harvested two weeks on average after the rest), Alejandro ensured that both the Airénand Tempranillo grapes he had discovered in La Mancha could result in wines that achieve his standards of excellence.

100% Airén Alcohol 13.5%

Warmer year than usual. The first frost did not arrive until November and December causing the winter temperatures to be higher than normal. The spring began with cooler temperatures than usual, but the budding cycle proceeded as normal. The average temperature from June was high.

De-stemming and crushing for fermentation in stainless steel tanks to produce natural wines. 18 months in French oak barrels and 6 months in bottle.

While on vacation to visit La Mancha’s emblematic windmills that inspired Cervantes to write Don Quixote, Alejandro was surprised to discover 100-year-old, head-pruned Tempranillo (aka Cencibel) vines amidst a sea of white Airén grapes. Convinced he must undertake one last bodegain the historic village of Campo de Criptanain La Mancha, El Vínculo was born. By signing long-term leases with the town’s three best grape growers, and carefully controlling both the yield (50% of fruit is dropped each year) and harvest time (his grapes are harvested two weeks on average after the rest), Alejandro ensured that both the Airénand Tempranillo grapes he had discovered in La Mancha could result in wines that achieve his standards of excellence.

100% Airén Alcohol 14%

The 2016 vintage can be characterized as warmer-than-normal year. The first frosts arrived in November and December, which gave rise to a colder-than-usual winter. Cooler temperatures were registered in spring, allowing more normal bud-break than in previous years. Average temperatures from June-October were particularly high, moving harvest up around the region a couple of weeks earlier than the Manchegos had planned. A vintage said to produce wines of excellent depth and natural concentration, the 2016 Alejairén is a stellar example of what exceptional old-vine Airén can produce when hand-harvested and barrel-aged.

Lying in the warmest region of the four Fernández estates, the grapes at El Vínculo are the first to be harvested. Each of the leased vineyard blocks are manually harvested towards the beginning-middle of September and are vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation of the white Airén grapes takes place between 6-10 days at an average temperature of 20-25°C. The finished Alejairén is then aged for 24 months in fine grain, 225-and 300-liter neutral French oak barrels with a light-to-medium toast. With the Fernández family dedicated to natural winemaking, all wines produced are neither filtered nor fined before bottling. Upon completion of barrel aging, the Alejairén is then aged for a minimum of six months in bottle before it is released to the market.

While on vacation to visit La Mancha’s emblematic windmills that inspired Cervantes to write Don Quixote, Alejandro was surprised to discover 100-year-old, head-pruned Tempranillo (aka Cencibel) vines amidst a sea of white Airén grapes. Convinced he must undertake one last bodegain the historic village of Campo de Criptanain La Mancha, El Vínculo was born. By signing long-term leases with the town’s three best grape growers, and carefully controlling both the yield (50% of fruit is dropped each year) and harvest time (his grapes are harvested two weeks on average after the rest), Alejandro ensured that both the Airénand Tempranillo grapes he had discovered in La Mancha could result in wines that achieve his standards of excellence.

100% Airén Acidity 4.81 g/L pH 3.69 Alcohol 14%

The 2015 vintage can be characterized as warmer-than-normal year. The first frosts arrived in November, which gave rise to a colder-than-usual winter. High temperatures were registered in spring, causing an earlier bud-break than in previous years. Average temperatures from June-October were particularly high, moving harvest up around the region a couple of weeks earlier than the Manchegos had planned. A vintage said to produce wines of excellent depth and natural concentration, the 2015 Alejairén is a stellar example of what exceptional old-vine Airén can produce when hand-harvested and barrel-aged.

Lying in the warmest region of the four Fernández estates, the grapes at El Vínculo are the first to be harvested. Each of the leased vineyard blocks are manually harvested towards the beginning-middle of September and are vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation of the white Airén grapes takes place between 6-10 days at an average temperature of 20-25°C. The finished Alejairénis then aged for 24 months in fine grain, 225-and 300-liter neutral American oak barrels with a light-to-medium toast. With the Fernández family dedicated to natural winemaking, all wines produced by Alejandro Fernández are neither filtered nor fined before bottling. Upon completion of barrel aging, the Alejairén is then aged for a minimum of six months in bottle before it is released to the market.

While on vacation to visit La Mancha’s emblematic windmills that inspired Cervantes to write Don Quixote, Alejandro was surprised to discover 100-year-old, head-pruned Tempranillo (aka Cencibel) vines amidst a sea of white Airén grapes. Convinced he must undertake one last bodegain the historic village of Campo de Criptanain La Mancha, El Vínculo was born. By signing long-term leases with the town’s three best grape growers, and carefully controlling both the yield (50% of fruit is dropped each year) and harvest time (his grapes are harvested two weeks on average after the rest), Alejandro ensured that both the Airénand Tempranillo grapes he had discovered in La Mancha could result in wines that achieve his standards of excellence.

100% Airén. Acidity 4.81 g/L., pH 3.69 Alcohol 13.5%.