Pago del Cielo, the Ribera del Duero winery owned by the Torres Family, unveils its iconic wine, an elegant Tempranillo with a very limited production that originates from two owned vineyards whose uniqueness lies in their soils, age, and location. Named after the winery itself, Pago del Cielo 2019 captures the essence of these old vineyards which, when combined, elevate the wine, endowing it with complexity, freshness and finesse.

“In the last 10 years, we have focused on the land, identifying the best areas, vineyards and plots, and learning about the soils”, says Juan Ramón García, the winemaker who has been at the helm of the winery since it was founded 20 years ago. “Pago del Cielo is the culmination of the knowledge gained over these years and the ultimate expression of our two most cherished vineyards, El Obispo and Las Tenadas, located in the finest areas of Ribera del Duero with different soils that complement each other very well”.

On the one hand, the vineyard known as El Obispo, located in Piñel, in the Pesquera area, is characterized by its predominantly limestone soils, which provide elegance, minerality and great ageing potential to the wines. On the other hand, Las Tenadas, in La Horra, is a small plot with deep soils made of clay and sand, producing wines with more structure, aromatic intensity, and good acidity. This vineyard also has the peculiarity that among the old vines of Tempranillo there are some Albillo blanco vines, which are harvested and fermented together bringing brightness and freshness to the wine.

The two vineyards, located at an average altitude of 840 metres, are 32 and 70 years old respectively, and are cultivated using regenerative techniques such as cover crops and reducing tillage to contribute to the fight against climate change.

Pago del Cielo 2019 is crafted with utmost care at the winery located in Fompedraza. To enhance the expression of the soil in the wine, 1,600-litre clay casks, built using earth from each vineyard, are used for fermenting and ageing part of the wine for 14 months. The rest is aged for 15 months in 300-litre French oak barrels. The 2019 vintage was a good harvest, with less rainfall than the previous year and generally higher temperatures, except during the months of August and September.