Fondillón, the oldest wine in Spain
FONDILLÓN
Renowned since ancient times, Fondillón has received the highest praise from kings and rulers, writers and artists, oenologists, and tasters alike.
Tradition holds that a notable chef of Philip II already referred to Fondillón as "the most famous wine of Alicante, which enjoys great renown in various countries." It is also famously known as the first fortified wine that circumnavigated the globe, thanks to Elcano, who considered it an exceptional restorative. Legend has it that it endured the journey without losing any of its marvelous balance. References to this wine are well-known in the works of William Shakespeare and Alexandre Dumas, as well as accounts of King Louis XIV, the Sun King, consuming Fondillón as a revitalizing wine to improve his health.
Native to the ancient orchards of Alicante, Fondillón comes from the Monastrell grape, whose select, small, and sweet berries are harvested very ripe to increase their already high alcohol content, which is no less than 16º. Its harmonious warmth and unmistakable clean flavour are attributed to the grape variety and the fact that the pomace remains in contact with the must during fermentation. Once fermentation is complete and the characteristics of each harvest are studied, the true ageing process of Fondillón begins, rigorously following the solera system. This involves three or four rows of oak barrels, from which about a third of the wine is extracted annually from the oldest barrels for bottling. The remaining barrels are proportionally racked from younger to older until the youngest barrels are refilled with wine from the current year. Through this gradual process, Fondillón acquires its fullest and most guaranteed maturity.
Fondillón is an aged and robust wine, slightly sweet or mildly dry, exceptionally clean on the palate, and highly fragrant on the nose, with its aroma shifting from reddish to amber tones as it ages. Due to the limited extent of its production areas—the upper and middle Vinalopó valley—and the traditional demands of its aging process, the selective volume of each harvest has always been constrained by the territorial limitations of its vineyards.
The fact that the European Community has included Fondillón among the five great luxury wines of Europe—alongside Champagne, Cava, Sherry, and Port—is undoubtedly a recognition of great significance in the history of Spanish viticulture.
