El Vinculo Alejairen 2014 Front Bottle Shot
El Vinculo Alejairen 2014 Front Bottle Shot El Vinculo Alejairen 2014 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

A wine with soul of white and character of red. Undoubtedly, a different wine made from Airén, an indigenous grape of the region, with the peculiarity of aging in American oak barrels for 24 months. An unusual technique in any white making that makes it the only one of the DO La Mancha with barrel aging.
El Vinculo

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Outshining all other white vine varieties in the world as far as vineyard acreage—though that is also because lack of water forces low density planting—Airén is ultimately an important Spanish wine grape. Airén vines prefer training into low bushes, which make them resistant to drought. Used traditionally in La Mancha and Valdepeñas for blending with the Tempranillo, it is becoming more fashionable when vinified as a crisp, youthful, single varietal white. Somm Secret—In the Canary Islands, Airén goes by Burra Blanca (meaning "white donkey"), and takes to blending with Malvasia, Breval and Listan Blanco (Palomino).

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The Moors gave it the name, ‘Manxa,’ which fittingly means ‘parched earth.’ La Mancha, the largest Spanish wine producing region in all of Spain, is one of its hottest and driest. Sturdy and drought-resistant white varieietes like Airen, Viura and Verdejo thrive in this environment.

YNG213922_2014 Item# 309399