Wines
Summary
Bodega Manuel Aragón is an historic bodega and family winery founded in 1795, firmly rooted in the traditional, working-class sherry culture of Chiclana de la Frontera. Chiclana is an ancient, whitewashed village located in the Bay of Cádiz, 12 miles southeast of the city of Cádiz. Chiclana’s vineyards are the southernmost in the Marco de Jerez. The region has been a longtime producer of grapes destined for sherry production, with Palomino vines growing in the sandy, chalky plains. Much of the region belongs to Cádiz Bay Natural Park and Sancti Petri Marshes nature reserve. The region is an important migration route for birds, with pine, olive, oak, and chaparral trees playing a prominent role in the landscape.
The story of Manuel Aragón is that of a fierce defender of the historical culture of the region and its quality, handcrafted wines. Presently, winemaking in Chiclana has dwindled, dropping from a historic high of over 80 wineries in the 19th century, to just three wineries and 200ha of vineyards planted only in the best Pagos. The Manuel Aragón winery exemplifies and defends the region’s historical roots, fighting against the tide of condominiums, golf courses, and windmills that are changing the landscape of the Costa del Luz vineyards.
Chano Aragón, the current winery head and oenologist is a direct descendant of its founder Pedro Aragón Morales, who established the bodega in the Callejón de Jerez, the heart of Chiclana. As with most bodegas at the time, they sold locally to taverns, homes, and workers who passed through the town. Three generations later, in 1896, the family expanded, increasing their vineyard holdings while focusing on excellent work in the vineyards. But the true development of the business came with Manuel Aragón Baizán, who formally created the company in 1916, expanding its sales beyond just the local market
The bodega lies just 800m from the ocean, separated only by pine trees. It also benefits from the Levante wind, a warm current that flows west through the Strait of Gibraltar. Palomino vineyards are planted in chalky albariza barajuela soils in the same direction as the Levante wind.
The secret to quality that sets Manuel Aragón apart from most of the wineries in the Sherry region begins with the unique fact that they own 9ha of their own vineyards, which viticulturist Juan Manuel Tocino farms organically. Utilizing a traditional method to fertilize their vineyards, they recycle the pomace produced from winemaking back into the soil after the grapes have been pressed.
