🍷 Fondillón

Fondillón is a rare aged wine from the Alicante PDO in south-eastern Spain, made only from Monastrell grapes left to overripen on the vine. Its alcohol, at least 16 %, must come entirely from the grapes' own sugar, and the wine matures for at least ten years in oak barrels. ²³

A protected traditional term. Fondillón belongs to the EU category «wine of overripe grapes»: no enrichment, natural alcohol above 15 %, total alcohol of at least 15 % and actual alcohol of at least 12 %. ⁴ The Alicante specification registers Fondillón as the traditional term for this category and raises the bar to at least 16 % total and actual alcohol with less than 45 g/l of sugar. ³

Grapes and fermentation. Only Monastrell from the production zone may be used, overripened on the vine; the specification names overripening on the plant and sun-drying of grapes as a typical Alicante practice for Fondillón. Fermentation uses native yeasts only, so the wine is not fortified. ²³ The zone covers the province of Alicante plus parajes in Abanilla, Jumilla and Yecla. ¹³

Ten years in oak. The wine ages for at least ten years in oak barrels, in facilities reserved for this product, and the barrels must be registered in advance. Wineries keep a specific register of their barrels and ageing times, and only those authorised by the Regulatory Council may use the name. ³

Vintages or solera. Ageing may follow single vintages or the criaderas y solera system, in which a barrel is topped up with wine from a similar one after withdrawals or losses through oxidation. Wine used for topping up must be at least five years old; the top-up may reach 20 % a year, 40 % every two years or 60 % every three years, and the average age must reach ten years. ³

Taste and analysis. Fondillón is mahogany, amber or copper in colour, with aromas of ripe fruit, dried fruit and nuts, toast, wood and coffee, and a long palate with spice and a bitter edge. ³ It needs at least 3.5 g/l of total acidity; volatile acidity may reach 2.2 g/l and sulphur dioxide 150 mg/l, or 200 mg/l if the wine has 5 g/l of sugar or more. ³

Bottle and label. Fondillón is bottled only in glass and only inside the production zone, and the Regulatory Council may issue a specific back label for it. The label always shows «Alicante. Denominación de Origen», and the traditional term Fondillón can stand in for the words «protected designation of origin» (PDO). ³⁴

A long history. The specification recalls a wine called «Alicante» at a Paris wine contest in 1241, Alicante wines that sailed with Magellan on the first voyage around the world, and their place in royal households and in travellers' accounts, especially Fondillón and Aloque. It also cites references in The Count of Monte Cristo and in local writers such as Azorín and Miguel Hernández. ³

Why it matters to you. Fondillón is not a fortified wine: its strength comes from overripe Monastrell alone, so look for the word Fondillón with the Alicante PDO on a glass bottle. ¹³ Ten years in oak make it rare and costly, and it is served in small glasses. ³ The WHO stresses that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. ⁵