TequilaLos Altos de Jalisco
Fuentes Guerra
Hacienda Capellanía
A family that has distilled for more than 25 tequila brands around the world for years and now bottles its own tequila.
At around 1,900 metres in the Highlands of Jalisco since 2003, family-run in the fourth generation. Planting follows the lunar calendar, and the harvest comes only after eight years. For a long time the family distilled its tequila for other brands. Fuentes Guerra is their own.
The story
Hacienda Capellanía lies near San José de Gracia in the municipality of Tepatitlán de Morelos, in the heart of Los Altos de Jalisco. The region is known as the golden triangle of blue agave: red, mineral-rich soil and altitude that give the agave sweetness and fruit. This red earth saw heavy fighting in the Cristero War of the 1920s. On 11 September 2003 the fourth generation of a family of agave farmers founded their distillery here.
The agaves grow on the family's own land, planted according to the lunar calendar and in a set orientation, and harvested only after eight years. Around 70 new hectares are planted every year, so the house depends on no one for its agave. The water comes from deep wells right by the distillery. From field to bottle, everything stays in the same area, the Altos Sur region.
For a long time the family distilled for others, today for more than 25 brands, drunk in countries such as the USA, Japan, Denmark, India and Australia. Many tequila drinkers have had something from here in their glass without knowing it. With Fuentes Guerra, they bottle their own tequila.
The name is inspired by a historical figure of mestizo descent who stayed true to a heritage of hard work and honesty. The filigree on the bottle picks up on this, combining European baroque with indigenous design.
“La calidad sobre la cantidad, siempre.”Worth knowing
- The distillery bottles for more than 25 brands, from the USA to Japan. Only Fuentes Guerra carries its own name.
- Planting follows the lunar calendar, as it does for some winemakers.
- Agaves from the Highlands of Jalisco are considered fruitier and sweeter than those from the valley.
- The bottling line fills 100 bottles a minute. The labels still go on by hand.
The craft
The agave is cooked for more than ten hours with steam and pressure in a stainless steel autoclave. This brings out fresh agave rather than smoke. A mill presses out the juice in four stages, with water from the distillery's own deep well. Fermentation runs for six days in open stainless steel tanks, with regional yeasts propagated by the master distiller. Distillation takes place twice in stainless steel stills with a copper coil, to 55 % vol. The Reposado then matures in American oak, the Añejo in French oak. Up to 100 bottles a minute are filled, and they are labelled by hand.
From field to bottle
- GrowingOwn land at around 1,900 m, red mineral-rich soil, planted according to the lunar calendar. Around 70 hectares are added every year.
- HarvestAfter eight years, the agaves are harvested by hand.
- CookingOver ten hours of steam and pressure in a stainless steel autoclave.
- MillingMilled and pressed in four stages, with water from the distillery's own deep well.
- FermentationSix days in open stainless steel tanks, with regional yeasts propagated by the master distiller.
- DistillationTwice, in stainless steel stills with a copper coil, to 55 % vol.
- AgeingReposado at least seven months in American oak, Añejo at least eighteen months in French oak.
