Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2021
92.6 proof (46.3% ABV) | 750mL | Cask strength — undiluted | 3rd Winter Blend release | NOM 1493 — Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2021 is the third vintage in the distillery's annual series exploring reposado cask finishes: a blend of reposado aged in used American oak and reposado aged in French oak 200-liter barrels that once held Marsala wine, married and bottled at full cask strength with no water added.
Made the Fortaleza way at Destilería La Fortaleza in Tequila, Jalisco under Master Distiller Guillermo Erickson Sauza: 100% Blue Weber agave, brick-oven cooked, tahona-crushed, open-air fermented, and double-distilled in small copper pot stills — verified additive-free. The Sicilian Marsala wine barrels layer dried-fruit, wine, and baking-spice character over Fortaleza's signature cooked-agave, butter, and cinnamon profile. From the producer: "silky start of sweet agave balanced with notes of a dry Marsala wine… finished with the essence of baking spices with hints of butter, vanilla, clove, nuts and citrus." A collector-grade reposado tequila at natural strength — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
Tasting notes
Per the producer and official sell-sheet copy: aroma of cooked agave, sweet creamed butter, cinnamon bark, and dried fruits; a palate where the high proof shows first as cinnamon spice, then mellows into cracked pepper and Fortaleza's famous cooked-agave, fruit-forward core; a finish of faint dried plums, honey, and freshly baked dough from the Marsala barrels, lingering into a herbal, alcohol-forward close.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- Cask strength at 92.6 proof — bottled undiluted, unlike the 87-proof 2022
- French oak ex-Marsala wine finish — the only Winter Blend vintage with Marsala barrels
- Tahona-crushed, copper pot-distilled, additive-free at NOM 1493
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a tequila glass with a few minutes to open up — at cask strength this one rewards patience. A drop or two of water softens the heat and lifts the Marsala fruit.
Frequently asked questions
How is the 2021 different from the 2022 Winter Blend?
The 2021 is bottled at cask strength (92.6 proof) with a Marsala-wine French oak component; the 2022 is 87 proof and finishes in ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso sherry, and ex-Tokaji Hungarian oak instead.
What is Marsala wine?
A fortified wine from Sicily, Italy — the French oak barrels that held it lend dried-fruit, wine, and baking-spice notes to the reposado.
Is Fortaleza additive-free?
Yes — verified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker, with no added coloring or sweeteners.