Pago de Carraovejas 2015

OUR WINES

The result of the effort

Our state wine

After more than thirty years making great wines, transmitting the life that surrounds us, searching for unique vineyards and letting our grapes ripen, the time has come to start a new and exciting journey. Pago de Carraovejas has been a unique wine since the 2015 vintage.

Varieties: Tinto Fino (90%), Cabernet Sauvignon (6%) and Merlot (4%).
Alcohol by volume: 15%
Soils: limestone texture with red clays and white loams. Low granulometry and high water retention.
Altitude: 850 meters
Harvest: manual, in boxes 15 kg

The year 2015

The 2015 vintage was notable for its atypical cycle of maturity. The winter was not particularly cold, although it had some periods of frozen spells and limited
precipitation. All this has to the first shoots emerging early at the end of March. Together with the rise in temperatures and increased rains the vines began to sprout generally in April. In the second half of May there were various days with sharp frosts, with an uneven impact on each of the plots of vines, reducing the yield and favoring concentration. The lack of rain in the last months of the cycle of maturity, together with the high average temperatures led to a calm and orderly harvest, which began on September 24 and ended on October 15. Of note was a great quality and excellent health of the grapes.

The vineyard and the varieties

Pago de Carraovejas is made with grapes grown in our vineyards in the Botijas River valley, and planted between 1988 and 2011. Our work over the last 30 years has been 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. Pago de Carraovejas is characterized by the presence of a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which have formed part of our character from the start. We think they complement the Tinto Fino with floral and red fruit notes and increase its aging potential.

The Winery

We like to think that our way of making wine is a respectful treatment of the grapes we receive every year through a steady and meticulous preparation: We pick
the grapes by hand and transport them in crates. 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. The grapes are placed in vats without crushing them first, giving Pago de Carraovejas its special character, boosting
the development of fresh and pure aromas and keeping the pips intact, so they don’t give off any harsh or bitter notes. 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 fermentation process is carefully
monitored. The temperature is kept the alcoholic fermentation, the wines undergo a spontaneous malolactic fermentation in stainless steel or oak, depending on the characteristics of the wines. In December the doors to the winery are opened and this cold helps us clarify the wine before it is transferred to the barrels. The key point during the aging process is always respect for the wine’s character. That’s why we work with an exceptionally large number of coopers, who work in partnership with us to adapt to the wines in each vintage. They are put into barrels of different types of oak, age, origin, toasting, etc. The wines remain in
the barrels for around twelve months.