The 2020 growing season began with a mild rainy winter followed by a warm spring during which it rained continually until the beginning of summer. These persistently wet conditions, which produced a large amount of water for the vines, brought about an early, sudden budding of the vines and enabled the vine cycle to develop smoothly and quickly. Fortunately, in the 2020 vintage, there were no spring frosts, which would have been very dangerous given the vine cycle’s advance. The summer weather followed the pattern of the previous vintages of the decade with very warm conditions but also with unusually rainy weather for this region, and this helped the vines to maintain a balanced growth. The end of the growing season was not easy for growers. Heavy rain and plunging temperatures led to concerns about a possible tricky ripening process and the onset of botrytis. Instead, however, the rain helped swell the grapes to their normal size and enabled optimal yields to be reached; while the low temperatures brought about a slower and more gradual ripening of the grapes. The final result was a great vintage in terms of both quality and quantity, as well as a long, staggered harvest. Despite the early budding, which had suggested an early harvest, the grapes were picked on close to normal harvesting dates.

AGEING: At least 12 months in American oak barrels, then in bottle before being released onto the market.

SURFACE AREA: 200 hectares in total (494 acres).
SOURCE OF GRAPES: Selected from vines situated within the Pesquera de Duero municipality at an altitude of over 800 metres and with a south-facing exposure.
SOIL-TYPE: Heterogeneous soils, mostly clay-loam with some limestone.

VARIETAL: 100% Tempranillo
ALCOHOL: 14.5%

The year began with normal winter conditions, followed by a mild spring with the occasional frost in the month of May, which caused no serious damage to the crop. It was generally a dry year, particularly throughout the vine cycle, which impacted vine vegetation growth and the size of the bunches and berries.Temperatures during the period of ripening were very favourable with pronounced diurnal temperature variation, a special feature of the Ribera climate and which enabled our Tempranillo to reach wonderful levels of phenolic ripeness. The occasional rain shower in September slowed down the final stage of ripening but had no adverse effect on the quality of the grapes. All of these conditions combined to produce a high quality vintage that was harvested on the usual dates.

AGEING: The wine was aged at least 12months in American oak barrels, then in bottle before being released onto the market.

• SURFACE AREA: 200 hectares in total (494 acres). SOURCE OF GRAPES: Selected from vines within the boundaries of Pesquera de Duero, with a south-facing exposure at an altitude of over 800 metres. SOIL-TYPE: Heterogeneous soils, mostly clay-loam with some limestone.

• 100% Tempranillo
• Alcohol 14.5%

CLIMATE: 2018 began with a typically cold Ribera del Duero winter, during which temperatures dropped to as low as 12°C below zero. This cold weather continued right through to the beginning of spring, and yet, despite the conditions, bud-break in the vines occurred within the usual dates at the end of April. After a very dry 2017, a period of wet weather occurred at the end of winter, and then it rained continually throughout the spring, so much so that 2018 went down in the region as the wettest on record. Vine vegetation growth was favored by the mild temperatures and the water reserves in the soil, which led to considerably larger-sized berries. As a consequence of this increase in berry size, and despite higher than usual temperatures during September and October, the ripening process slowed. The harvesting stretched out until the end of October and produced an outstanding crop both in terms of quantity and quality. The absence of rainfall in the latter part of the growing season also ensured that healthy grapes were harvested. The 2018 was in fact the second largest crop on record, only surpassed by that of 2016.

AGEING: 14 months in American oak barrels and 6 months in bottle.

DESCRIPTION: Selected from our own vineyards located in Roa and La Horra at 800 meters altitude. SURFACE AREA: 200 hectares in total (494 acres). AGE: The wine was aged 14 months in American oak barrels, then 6 months in bottle before being released onto the market. SOIL: Heterogeneous soils, mostly clay-loam with some limestone.

• 100% Tempranillo Alcohol 14.0%

The year 2016 was warmer than usual. The first frost did not arrive until November and December and were considerable in this second month, with winter temperatures higher than normal. The spring began with cooler temperatures than usual. Nevertheless, the budding cycle proceeded as normal. The average temperatures from June were quite high, whereas they returned to normal in August. The harvesting period took place in September, as in previous years.

AGEING: Aged for 18 months in American oak barrels and over 6 months in bottle.

SURFACE AREA: A total of 200 hectares. DESCRIPTION: Located in the municipality of Pesquera de Duero, south-facing at an altitude of more than 800 metres. SOIL: Sandy loam soil.

• 100% Estate-owned Tempranillo
• 14% alcohol by volume

2015 was considered to be a warmer-than-normal vintage in the center of Spain. A rather mild start to winter gave way to noticeably lower temperatures by the end of the season and, interestingly, spring saw above-average temperatures between the months of April and June. The vintage was also characterized by scarce rainfall. Thankfully, the little rain that fell did so during the specific times when the cycle of the vine was most in need of water. A hot and dry summer had a positive effect on véraison and cluster maturation, which, in turn, gave rise to grapes of exceptional quality.

All vineyard blocks are vinified separately in small stainless steel tanks in order to ensure optimum wine quality. Alcoholic fermentation takes place between 6-10 days at an average temperature of 20-25°C and the finished wine is aged for 18 months in fine grain, 225-and 300-liter neutral American oak barrels with a light-to-medium toast. Barrels are racked four times during the first twelve months of aging and an additional 2-3 times before bottling. 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 Tinto Pesquera Crianza is then aged for a minimum of six months in bottle before it is released to the market.

Tinto Pesquera’s 200 hectares of vineyards lie near the Duero River at close to 2,400 feet in elevation. The vines grow in poor, well-drained soils, composed of sand and gravel over a limestone and clay subsoil, and are naturally irrigated with water from the nearby Duero River. Tinto Pesquera’s vines are located within the province of Valladolid, in the heart of Ribera del Duero, which has hot summers, incredibly cold winters and extreme diurnal temperature differences that create an ideal combination for producing silky and sumptuous Tempranillo wines. The Tinto Pesquera Crianza is made from estate-grown, 40-year-old vines that produce a limited production of only two kilos per vine.

• 100% Estate-owned Tempranillo
• 4.72 g/l total acidity
• 14.5% alcohol by volume