The Solar Fortún Estate:
- 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.
- 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 at 1,100 ft elevation in the northern most section of the valley, 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 Syrah - Solar Fortún
What to Expect and Drinking Window:
A lovely monovarietal Syrah from the hand-picked, organically farmed, estate vineyards of Solar Fortún. This wine delivers the classic spicy notes Syrah is known for but is on the brighter side when it comes to the fruit expression and balance of acidity. barrel aging is noticible in it's youth and will integrate into the wine over time.
Drinking window: Now (45 min decant) - 10 years
Vintage:
2021
Blend:
100% Syrah
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:
Harvested by hand in the end of October, pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks with the skins and seeds for two weeks. Once fermentation was complete it was racked into American oak barrels (30% new, 70% a mix of 2nd and 3rd use) and aged for 12 months.
Sulfites: 30 ppm
Farming:
Organic, sustainable
Alcohol:
13.8%
