The Solar Fortún Estate:
Founded: 2010 by the López family
Vineyard location, elevation and grape varieties:
- Valle de Guadalupe - 1,000 ft - estate vines - (Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Syrah). The site is dominated by sandy soils with a small amount of clay. Organically farmed.
Winemaker: Enologist Santiago López Viana (Mexican born, trained at UC Davis, lives in Valle de Guadalupe)
Region and grape source: All grapes are estate grown in Valle de Guadalupe approximately 18 miles from the Pacific. They currently have 18.5 acres under vine
- Solar Fortún is a family owned and operated winery that was officially established in 2010 and planted 3 years prior in 2007. Coming from a background in theoretical and natural physics, (both of Santiago's parents are professors of physics at the university in Ensenada), the plan for this estate was methodical and precise, with no consideration left unattended.
Notes:
- Fully sustainable, (and idyllic to the point of being completely transportive) the only non-renewable resource they use in their operation is the fuel that runs their tractor. As the harvests, and almost all the work in the vineyards is done by hand, it doesn't get used much!
- All grapes are estate grown in an organically farmed vineyard site approximately 15 miles from the Pacific in a part of the valley called Francisco Zarco. The confining walls are so tight at this point that they create more of a canyon than a valley. This creates a unique micro-climate where the temperature differential between the mountainsides and the valley floor generates a nearly constant breeze eliminating the risk of cluster rot or powdery mildew. This cooler climate also plays a role in the high natural acidity of these wines and their very prevalent floral components.
Total production: 18.5 acres under vine, 10 wines, 4,000 cases
2021 Elixir Cordis - Solar Fortún
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
The 2021 Elixir Cordis marks only the third time this exceptional wine has been produced, and the conditions could not have been more perfect. A warm, dry growing season followed by cooler harvest temperatures allowed the estate to achieve remarkable ripeness and balance. This single-parcel Cabernet showcases extraordinary concentration and elegance, with layered aromas of blackcurrant, dark cherry, cedar, and subtle hints of graphite. On the palate, it is richly textured yet precise, with fine-grained tannins and a long, resonant finish. A true expression of Solar Fortún’s highest standards, this wine rewards careful decanting and will evolve beautifully over the next two decades.
125 cases made
Drinking window: Upon release (2-hour decant) – 2040Vintage:
2021
Blend:
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot
Producer:
Solar Fortun
Winemaker:
Santiago Lopez - Mexican
Vineyards:
Valle de Guadalupe, ejido de Francisco Zarco - Estate vineyards in a tight valley with sandy soils of decomposed sandstone and some red clay. Vines were planted in 2007 and the elevation is 1,100 ft.
Winemaking:
Grapes are harvested by hand in the early morning to maintain maximum freshness and acidity, then destemmed and pressed and fermented in French oak barrels for just over 2 weeks. After fermentation is complete the wine is racked into ultra premium barrels made of air dried, straight grain, light toast French oak barrels that come from France’s famed Limousine Forest and left to age for 24 months. Once barrel aging is complete, the wine is bottled unfiltered and left to age for another 3 years before release.
Sulfites: 35 ppm
Farming:
Organic, sustainable
Alcohol:
13.8
