i e n e n i d o F e r n á n d e z
Bienvenido Fernández Sotol Cedrosanum
The Maestro of the Sierra.
Bienve has been distilling sotol since he could carry the bar to knock down the dasylirion stem.
A 4th generation maestro, and legendary storyteller, Bienve has always smiled in the face of adversity. Evading the eye of authorities, he embraced a nomadic life to traverse mountain ranges with the aid of his favorite donkey to carry his copper still. As he traveled, he crafted batches of sotol, lechuguilla, and ensambles from the plants he encountered along the trail.
The sotol plants for this expression are from Mapimí, Durango, a hot and arid desert region of around 4,250′. It is distilled in Madera, a city located in the northwest of Chihuahua, at an altitude of 6,900 feet above sea level, this area is known for its coniferous forest vegetation. Its high altitude provides a cool subtropical climate, with humid summers and cold and dry winters.
Technical
MAESTRO VINATERO – Bienvenido Fernández, 4th generation
RAW MATERIAL – 100% wild Dasylirion Cedrosanum (the sotol plant)
VIÑATA – Madera, Chihuahua, MX
PLANT SOURCE – Mapimí, Durango, MX
SOURCE CLIMATE – Hot summers & mild, dry winters, elevation 4,250’
PLANT MATURITY – Madurado en verde 15 years
ROAST – 3 days in an underground conical horno with pine wood, covered with volcanic stone
CRUSH – Mechanical
WILD FERMENTATION – 7 days in stainless steel & tomba
DISTILLATION – Stainless steel alembic, first with pine wood & then with gas
ADJUSTMENT METHOD – With well water until it is parejo
TASTING NOTES –
AROMA – Banana pudding, pine, wet earth
TASTE – Citrus, red hots, walnuts
TEXTURE – Enticing, complex, chewy