Fuenteseca Tequila

Established in 2006 and produced by Tequileña (NOM 1146) in Tequila, Jalisco, Fuenteseca tequilas are crafted from agave cultivated in different soil types that are then distilled in a variety of stills and rested or aged in vessels sourced from around the world.

Legendary tequila icon Enrique Fonseca began as a fourth-generation agavero, or agave farmer, working alongside his father in his home of Atotonilco El Alto. The Fonseca family has been growing agave in the region since the 1880s, and with over 3,700 acres of land, have become one of the largest private agave growers in Jalisco. A tireless pioneer, advocate for progressive agriculture, and integral figure in tequila, having previously served as the CRT’s agricultural advisor, Enrique Fonseca has helped shape the contemporary tequila landscape at his Tequileña distillery for the last three decades.

In the mid 1980s, Enrique’s father, Don Chato, secured massive contracts with two of Mexico’s largest tequila producers—the largest agave supply contracts in tequila at the time—but when both companies defaulted on their contracts during a market slump just four years later, the estate was left with millions of mature agaves and no buyers. Rather than sell the undervalued stocks at a significant loss, Enrique chose to establish his own distillery to make use of his family’s exceptional agave.

After purchasing the Tequileña distillery from Bacardi in 1989—and inheriting its two-column still and alembic pot stills—along with roughly 16,000 Loire Valley Cabernet Franc barrels and 8,000 Canadian whisky barrels, Enrique set out to learn distillation. Since no maestro destilador was willing to mentor him, he travelled to Europe to seek apprenticeships with distillers in Scotland, where he learned the ins and outs of distillation, maturation, and blending. Fascinated by the aging process, he then spent additional time in France studying with traditional winemakers and Cognac distillers. There, he developed an affinity for French oak, finding the influence of the softer, subtler wood preferable to the typically heavy charred American oak commonly utilized by other tequila houses.

The maturation of agave spirits begins in the field, and the environment of the region—elevation, humidity, temperature, and soil type—provides great influence on the factors that impart terroir to the spirit. All Tequileña tequilas are distilled from fully matured, estate-grown hillside agave from Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, grown at altitudes between 4,600 and 5,500 feet above sea level, where plant sugars reach an average of 24–26 °Brix. Enrique grows agave in six regions, routinely moving agave pups to different growing climates to increase their resistance to pests and diseases.

Tequileña uses Bacardi’s original autoclaves, modified to cook at a lower temperature and roughly half the pressure of a standard autoclave, ensuring an even roast that more thoroughly converts the agave’s starches to sugars. The cooked agave is first run through a screw mill to wring it out and the bagazo is then passed through a roller mill for maximum extraction. All fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks without temperature controls using deep well water and proprietary yeast.

Barrel-aged tequila has always been integral to Enrique’s vision for Tequileña—the distillery was the first to utilize French oak casks to age tequila and the first to release an extra añejo tequila after the category was officially established in 2006. Enrique chose to build his aging facility in the mountains at an elevation of 5,400 feet above sea level to develop a program that best preserves the agave character of his tequilas.

Fuenteseca is Tequileña distillery’s exploration of the effects of different distillation methods and aging regimens on tequila with age statements as high as twenty-one years—currently the oldest age statement tequila on the market.