Winery: Pago de Carraovejas

Country / Region: Spain / DO Ribera del Duero

Date Winery was established: 1987

Alcohol Content / Volume: 15% / 750ml

Ratings: 93 pts. Tim Atkin

Good to know: Pago de Carraovejas was born in 1987 when Segovian sommelier and restaurateur José María Ruiz set out to create the ultimate wine to pair with his famous roast suckling pig. Nestled in the high-altitude hills of Peñafiel within Spain's prestigious Ribera del Duero region, the estate quickly evolved from a passion project into a benchmark of modern winemaking. Today, the producer is celebrated for its terroir-driven philosophy and innovative techniques—most notably their state-of-the-art, gravity-fed winery, the exclusive use of native yeasts, and their bold decision to abandon traditional aging classifications (like Crianza or Reserva) in favor of bottling highly expressive, vintage-focused blends of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.

The Pago de Carraovejas 2023 perfectly captures the estate's modern, terroir-driven philosophy in a single, highly expressive bottle. Crafted primarily from Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) with delicate touches of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this vintage was shaped by a warm summer balanced by crucial September rains, resulting in a wine of remarkable finesse rather than heavy power. Following a meticulous, gravity-fed winemaking process and 12 months of aging in French and American oak, it pours a deep cherry-red and bursts with complex aromas of ripe blackberries, plums, and blue violets layered over sweet spices and cedar. On the palate, it is incredibly polished and elegant, delivering silky tannins, vibrant acidity, and a long, mineral-driven finish. Earning impressive accolades—including 95 points from Jeb Dunnuck—this sophisticated Ribera del Duero is beautifully approachable now, yet possesses the structure to age gracefully for well over a decade, making it the ultimate pairing for rich, roasted meats like its traditional muse, Segovian suckling pig.