We are too far apart, and don’t know the full story of the family feud during his last year’s of life, so will only focus on the legacy of his prime during the 1980-1990s.
Spanish wine, and yes also food, wasn’t popular, and this one man’s mission made a great impact, at the same time when American wine critics began to move markets. Alejandro’s foresight to develop vineyards not only in Ribera del Duero, but also Toro and La Mancha, eventually created a behemoth with other agricultural products and a hotel.
Today’s preferred wine style has moved to the fine-boned, elegance, perhaps also lighter, but we find in these classics, the truth about soil and people in this western part of Spain. It is the combination of the scorched earth, the power of tannins, and the intense fruit profile that takes as back to the old days, when wine was made for the people.
These are wines that need time, something many don’t have, or perhaps also no space to keep for maturation. It is therefore even more particular to have such a jewel ready to drink at a reasonable price. Salud Alejandro. You will always be remembered.
