Winery: Abadia Retuerta

Country/Region: Spain, Castilla y Leon, Sardon del Duero. Vino de Pago

Date Winery was established: 1960s

Grape Variety: Tempranillo

Alcohol Content / Volume: 14.5% / 750ml

First Vintage Released: 1996

Ratings: 95 pts. Decanter World Wine Awards

Decanting Time: 30 minutes

Good to Know: Nestled in the heart of Castilla y León, Abadía Retuerta is a historic Spanish estate where winemaking tradition meets modern innovation. Established in a restored 12th-century monastery, the winery lies just outside the Ribera del Duero appellation, allowing it the freedom to craft exceptional “Vino de Pago de Sardon del Duero” wines. Its 700-hectare estate is home to meticulously managed vineyards planted with Tempranillo alongside Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot, producing wines of remarkable depth and character.

The 2019 Pago Negralada stands as a landmark single-vineyard, 100% Tempranillo expression sourced from a historic plot situated close to the Duero River, where deep, gravelly, alluvial pebble soils dominate. The 2019 growing cycle—a lower-yielding year—yielded grapes of outstanding phenolic concentration and balance, capturing the signature natural freshness of this cooler micro-terroir while delivering great structural depth. Aged for 17 months in French oak barrels, this vintage highlights the estate’s ability to produce a pure, classic Duero Tempranillo with extraordinary finesse and immense cellaring potential.

On the nose, the 2019 Pago Negralada presents a complex, fragrant bouquet of ripe dark berries, plums, and red cherries, interwoven with nuances of liquorice, bay leaf, black tea, espresso, and subtle toasted oak. The palate is bold and richly structured, balancing a refreshing streak of acidity with firm, velvety tannins and a long, savory, mineral-tinged finish. To complement its noble structure and earthy depth, pair this wine with roasted leg of lamb, prime rib roast, braised beef short ribs, or aged Manchego and Zamorano cheeses.