Pago Calzadilla, 'Opta', Cuenca, Vino de Pago 2014

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Our Price:  £16.05Earn 16 Loyalty Points Bottle or Case:    Bottle:  £16.05  Case of 6:  £96.30  Case of 12:  £192.60 Producer:  Pago Calzadilla Grape Varieties:  Tempranillo 60%, Garnacha 20%, Syrah 20% Optimum Drinking:  Within 12 years Wine Style:  Smooth complex balanced red Alcohol by Volume:  14.5% Closure:  Natural Cork Country:  Spain Availability:

Pago Calzadilla, 'Opta', Cuenca, Vino de Pago 2014

Notes of strawberry and cherry combine with a delightful liquorice note and an intriguing spicy background. Beautifully balanced with a long finish.

Producer Note

Pago Calzadilla is a small, family-run estate producing a limited quantity of highly expressive wines from the province of Cuenca. Located just outside the town of Huete, the 20 hectares of vines overlook the picturesque river valley of Río Mayor. The artisanal winery was built in 1980, which coincided with the planting of the vineyard with red varieties of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet-Sauvignon. Syrah was added later. The vineyard is manually cultivated and the wines are made with minimal intervention in the gravity-fed winery. Cultivated with passion, experience and expertise the wines are intense and elegant expressions of this unique site.

Vintage

A mild, grey winter was followed by a warm spring initially, that subsequently saw a drop in temperature. However the vines were healthy and the growing cycle was more advanced than the previous year. Flowering took place on 4th June. The summer alternated between warm weeks and fresher ones with lower temperatures at night. Overall the summer was dry and resulted in ripe, mature berries.

Vineyard

The vines are grown in a unique site located in the Rio Mayor Valley at an altitude of between 900 and 1,000 metres. The quality grapes come from specific plots known as Los Barrancos, Cuatro Pinos, Chocilla Vinagre and Viña Carlitos, which were planted in 2005. The soils are sandy and calcareous and the vineyard benefits from a distinct microclimate, with frequent mists and winds that protect the vines from spring frosts and disease. The vines are cultivated using organic preparations such as compost fertilisers from crop residue, cinnamon and sulphur to prevent disease. The use of aromatic cover crops between the vines increases the biodiversity and improves the soil quality.

Winemaking

Paula, the winemaker takes a very non-interventionist approach. The grapes were picked by hand and carefully selected. The berries from each plot were cooled before being vinified separately in the gravity-fed winery. The wine was aged for 14 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels of 300 and 500 liters. The wine was bottled without stabilisation or filtration. Cellared for a minimum of three years.

Tasting Note

An enticing and satisfying blend from high altitude vines, showing fruity aromas of strawberry and cherries with a delightful liquorice note and an intriguing spicy background of nutmeg, clove and coffee. Beautifully balanced and refreshing with a supple palate and a long, moreish finish.

Serving Suggestion

Spanish tapas, creamy chicken dishes or Manchego.

Grape

Tempranillo 60%, Garnacha 20%, Syrah 20%