Pago Aylés Cuesta Del Herrero 2021 (Spain)

Pago Aylés Cuesta Del Herrero 2021 (Spain)"This is seductively delicious. Combining rich berry notes with warm spice, toasted nut, tapenade and dried flower nuances, it's gracefully opulent offering terrific fruit weight with savoury undertones. Plump and flavoursome with a sustained sturdy finish. Predominantly Garnacha & Tempranillo with small amounts of Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. At its best: now to 2030" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit "Old world, old school, earthy and richly scented with a mix of

"This is seductively delicious. Combining rich berry notes with warm spice, toasted nut, tapenade and dried flower nuances, it's gracefully opulent offering terrific fruit weight with savoury undertones. Plump and flavoursome with a sustained sturdy finish. Predominantly Garnacha & Tempranillo with small amounts of Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon. At its best: now to 2030" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

"Old world, old school, earthy and richly scented with a mix of dark berries and soft brown soil earth ideas, black currant and tobacco, black cherry and sweet spice, velvet flowers and barrel spice. Delicious on the palate with an abundance of fine chalky almost dusty tannins, medium acidity, then flavours of red fruit and spices that reflect the bouquet. Tannins stick to the palate and dissolve slowly, the core fruit flavours taper off to reveal some dry earth and barrel qualities. A delicious wine that will require your attention to the detail. Well made, lengthy and ready with best drinking from 2024 through 2030" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier

"An elegant blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% tempranillo, 12% merlot and 8% cabernet sauvignon. Deep, almost inky red wine with cherry/berry, baked earth, Christmas cake and chocolate/mocha flavours. Hearty, complex red" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review

"Excellent depth to the black cherries, dark berries, dried flowers, Mediterranean herbs and dark spices. The creamy, caressing tannins are soaked up into the black cherry fruit on the medium-to full-bodied palate, making it a real pleasure now. From organically grown grapes. Delicious now, but will hold for a few years, too" James Suckling

Vino de Pago is produced in a very specific area of terroir, with specific characteristics of soil, climate and varieties that make unique,  differentiated wines that are awarded the top classification of Spanish wine, “Denomination de Pago.” To date only 20 Spanish wineries have been classified "Denomination de Pago." Pago Aylés was the 10th to achieve the classification in 2010 and is the first and only Pago in the Aragon region. The estate is located in North-Eastern Spain, 30km from the city of Zaragoza with deep roots linked to the history of the province.

The Vino de Pago is a blend of all varietals grown on the property; Garnacha, Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cuesta del Herrero plots have pudding stones and clay soil with a high calcium component. This composition enables the production of fresh, vibrant wines of high quality due to a superior foliar balance and a slower grape maturity.

Harvest by night. Cold pre-fermentation maceration. The Tempranillo and Merlot are co-fermented first because of a similar maturation cycle, and the Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache are co-fermented later for the same reason. Temperature controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation takes place in second and third use French oak cask, then 6 months maturation in barrel. Ageing potential: Between 5 and 7 years.

The result is an incredible “best buy.” Considering the astonishing amount of work and effort to stay true to history and the terroir, plus the attention to detail, if this monumental wine was French or Italian, it would be well over $50.