Pago del Carraovejas PDC

Pago de Carraovejas Ribera Del Duero is made from 90% Tempranillo, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot

The Pago de Carraovejas Ribera del Duero vintage marks a turning point in the history of the winery. From now on, the Crianza and Reserva are unified in this wine that focuses on the terroir and character rather than the time of aging. Its renewed label reflects the three key elements of this red: origin, soul and emotion.

Pago de Carraovejas Ribera Del Duero is made with grapes grown in the Botijas River valley, and planted between 1988 and 2011. Our work over the last 30 years has been geared to handcrafted viniculture, that puts as much care as possible into the microclimate conditions and the details. We have placed particular attention on the maintenance of the soil by plant cover that already grows spontaneously. It allows us to develop the ecosystem of the valley, which we respect scrupulously, using organic fertilizer and sulfur as the sole basis of our viticulture.

Depending on which plot they come from and the time they enter the winery, the grapes may be deposited in cold chambers to prevent oxidation and preserve the aroma. We carry out a two-part selection: first on the vine, where we choose the bunches, and then on a belt in the winery, where we remove the grapes that do meet the necessary conditions. The grapes enter the winery and are transported with the assistance of gravity. The deposits are filled slowly and gently. Depending on the characteristics that we detected when tasting the grapes, we ferment them either in stainless steel deposits or French oak barrels. For years we have worked with our own yeast that has been isolated from the vines by our team. This work is also partly responsible for the Carraovejas character.

The wine was aged in barrels for around twelve months.

Review:

"The 2020 Pago de Carraovejas was produced with a blend of 92% Tinto Fino (a.k.a. Tempranillo), 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. 2020 was a good vintage for them. They harvested earlier (but the wine still has 15% alcohol), all in small boxes and 3,000-kilogram containers, and they are also using 600-liter oak barrels and oak vats for the élevage. It has an expressive nose of ripe berries, sweet spices and some toast and is lush and creamy, with a soft texture. It's powerful in the house style, but there's balance and harmony. They produced some 800,000 bottles. - Luis GUTIERREZ"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (January 31st 2023), 93 pts