Few wines make it into the Top 100 of Wine & Spirits magazine, but Pago de los Capellanes Crianza did! Considered one of the most appreciated and best-selling reds, it is one of those gems not to be missed. Made in DO Ribera del Duero, it is a single-varietal Tempranillo, flavourful and very juicy, in which the grape shows all its potential. Pago de los Capellanes Crianza is grown between Pedrosa de Duero, La Horra and Gumiel de Mercado, where clay, stony and poor soils abound. These conditions allow old vines over 40 years old to give low yields of great quality. The grapes are harvested by hand and quickly taken to the winery, where they are crushed and processed. Just before alcoholic fermentation, indigenous yeasts are added to start the process. Once the wine is made, it is racked from the stainless steel tanks and left to macerate for 30 days, enhancing both aromas and colour; malolactic fermentation also takes place at this stage. The final step is ageing in new and semi-new French oak barrels (where this red rests for more than a year) and then in bottle (for several more months). No complications, no grand ambitions: Pago de los Capellanes Crianza is a textbook red, simple and unpretentious, the perfect example that greatness is often found in simple things.
