Fortaleza Winter Blend 2025 is the highly anticipated fourth chapter in the estate’s annual cask-finishing program. For this 2025 release, NOM 1493 has crafted a sophisticated multi-cask profile, marrying their traditional Reposado base with components finished in rare Passito di Caluso (Italian raisin-wine) and French oak Madeira casks. Bottled at a robust 92 proof, it offers a textured, high-octane exploration of the Tequila Valley terroir redefined by Old World sweet wine influence.
The 2025 Cask Distinction
By utilizing raisin-dried grape wine casks alongside Madeira French oak, Fortaleza achieves a structural weight and honeyed complexity that transcends standard Reposado parameters.
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Passito di Caluso Debut: The first use of Italian dessert wine casks in the series, imparting notes of golden raisin, honey, and tamarind.
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92-Proof Framework: A deliberate elevation in ABV to balance the additional tannin and sugar weight derived from the complex wine-cask components.
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Additive-Free Integrity: Despite the indulgent profile, every drop adheres to the Sauza family legacy of traditional, stone-oven, 100% tahona-crushed production.
Sensory Profile
Nose: Intense cooked agave, caramel, and butter. Honeyed sweetness and golden raisin develop with air, balanced by citrus peel and a gentle floral lift.
Palate: Full-bodied and texturally substantial. Sweet stone fruit and honey transition into mid-palate notes of tart cherry, tamarind, and fine French oak tannin.
Finish: Exceptionally long. A signature closing of dried fruit and persistent mineral-white pepper heat that sustains far beyond the standard Reposado vertical.
The Winter Vertical
The 2025 Blend represents the most ambitious cask program to date. While previous years leaned into Port or Sauternes, the Italian Passito influence provides a unique raisin-honey profile that is entirely new to the NOM 1493 library.
"A technical masterpiece of multi-cask integration and agave purity."
Technical Specifications
| Distillery |
Destilería La Fortaleza (NOM 1493) |
| Style |
Limited Annual Reposado (Multi-Cask) |
| Extraction |
100% Tahona (Volcanic Stone) |
| Proof / ABV |
92 Proof / 46% ABV |
| Cask Program |
Passito di Caluso, Madeira, American Whiskey |
| Release Year |
2025 (Winter Blend Series) |
| Bottle Size |
750 ml |
Collector Notes
The Fortaleza Winter Blend is one of the most prestigious "vintage-dated" programs in the spirits world. With the 2025 release featuring a maiden voyage for Passito di Caluso casks, it is a high-conviction target for vertical collectors. Given the limited global production of approximately 5,000–10,000 bottles, this release is subject to immediate allocation. Historically, Winter Blends have become centerpieces of the secondary market, with the 2025 expected to follow the rapid appreciation of the 2022 and 2023 vintages. Every bottle offered here features the iconic hand-painted piña cap and hand-blown glass, verified for pristine provenance and seal integrity.
Recommended Serving
To fully isolate the tamarind and golden raisin notes, enjoy this limited release neat in a copita at room temperature. The 92-proof structure benefits from 10–15 minutes of air; alternatively, a few drops of water will lift the citrus and soften the French oak tannins. While it excels in a Tequila Manhattan, we recommend neat consumption to preserve the unique wine-cask integration of the Passito influence.
