The western half of old Castile has a continental climate. However, it is tempered by the not too distant Atlantic, where the River Duero empties into the sea.

The “Father of Rivers”, the Duero, has marked these lands for millennia, providing them with sand and gravel over a base of limestone and clays.
It has thus formed a well-drained but poor and clean soil with just the right amount of organic matter. It is an ideal soil for the vines —with the help of the air, rain and the sun— to conjure forth aromas and flavours rich in nuances and store them in the grapes.

The “Lucía”, “Viña Alta” and “Llano Santiago” vineyards, arranged in low espalier systems to “take advantage of the soil’s heat”, are factories of sensations and pleasures that reach us through the wine.

There is always work to be done in the vineyard. The onset of cold weather means that the plants have to be prepared for their winter rest. The vine shoots that have already borne fruit are pruned, then crushed and returned to the ground from whence they came. Expert hands select the renewal spurs and leave them with no more than two or three buds each so that the fruit will not be too abundant but of very good quality.

Although the age of the vines ranges from 15 to 30 years, winter is also a time to plant. The small young vines are treated with great care. The most temperate and mildest days are chosen to ensure that the roots do not suffer during the planting process. Weeds are also pulled out to make sure they do not debilitate the vines’ vitality in any way. This was formerly an arduous task which today is made easier by surprising mechanical devices that leave the soil “clean”. From year to year, nutrients are added in the form of very mature sheep manure when the land requires it.

The second pruning is carried out in spring to ensure the vines grow evenly, thus improving the grape bunchs’ aeration and exposure to the sun. In addition, drip irrigation is provided to ensure the necessary humidity levels are achieved, but only if it is necessary.

Despite the fact that both natural and human selection have strengthened the vines, some kinds of “medicine” are still essential to ensure that fungi and bacteria do not ruin the crop. Only sulphur-based treatments are applied in Alejandro Fernández’s vineyards.

At the end of September, the Tempranillo grapes are ready and mature, endowed with just the right amount of sugar and acidity.

Then October comes. It is harvest time. By then the tendrils are ochre because they have passed on their vitality to the grape bunches. It is the moment for man to take over from Nature’s task in the winery.

The harvested grapes are de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Artificial yeasts are not used to aid in the grapes’ fermentation to ensure the process begins in a totally natural way.

Fermentation is carried out at a temperature of between 22º and 27º C and the must is pumped over twice a day. Once the fermentation is complete, the grape skins are pressed.

The wine is then stored in stainless steel tanks for around 20 days and subsequently poured into American oak barrels for 16, 24 or 36 months, depending on the kind of wine. The barrels are always renewed in order to obtain wine of the best quality. The roundness of taste and aromas that reach the mouth and give the wine elegance are achieved in the barrel.

Finally, the wine only has to be bottled. It will then acquire its full flavour stored in the bottle.