2024 Pago de los Capellanes - Tempranillo Joven (750ml)

Pago de los Capellanes sits just outside Pedrosa de Duero in the heart of Ribera del Duero, on land that takes its name from a medieval chaplaincy, after villagers donated parcels to clergy in gratitude for their services. Since its founding, the family estate has grown to seventy hectares planted mostly to Tempranillo, with smaller plots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and has built a reputation for wines that combine power with elegance.

This joven bottling comes entirely from Tempranillo grown in the Santa Gadea vineyard, a plot of poor clay and limestone soil that keeps yields naturally low and concentrates flavor. After hand harvesting, the grapes are destemmed and cold-soaked in stainless steel before fermenting with daily pump-overs and undergoing malolactic fermentation over about three weeks. The wine then spends five months in new French oak barrels before a light fining and bottling.

In the glass the wine shows a bright, almost luminous cherry red. The nose combines wild berries and violets with hints of vanilla and licorice from its time in oak. On the palate it is smooth and velvety, medium-bodied with soft, approachable tannins. Try it alongside grilled lamb skewers, Spanish chorizo, or a young cured cheese.