CHILL WITH SUMMER REDS

It's incredible how, like changing your wardrobe, enter extreme heat and the wine rack goes from red to white & rose. Even 'red wine only' lovers find many of their favourite reds too heavy for summer drinking. They somehow don't taste nor feel the same, despite being served at the correct temperature. Why is this when the wine itself hasn't changed?

I can only think that like food, wine is also seasonal, hence a move from the warm, the heavy, the rich, the creamy and the big to the cool, the light, the fresh and the lively. It's like our tastebuds transform from winter to summer tastebuds. Plus the fact that we also love change. But change can be less drastic for red wine lovers, for gone are the days of thinking that white wine's for fish, red wine's for meat, white wine in the fridge, red wine out. There are indeed many red wines which are light enough to enjoy in summer, with summer cuisine, and can even be chilled, and I don't mean the 'tinto verano' type!

Anglo Wines recommends the following reds to make summer 2012 not only a white and rose drinking summer but a chilled red one too.

VAL DE JIMENA JOVEN, RIOJA
Having spent no time in oak, this young Rioja is bright and fresh with plenty of juicy fruit, making it ideal served slightly chilled with 'tapas' and lighter grilled meats like chicken. Also perfect for making 'sangria' with. €2.99

CONO SUR PINOT NOIR, CHILE
Pinot Noir tends to produce light-bodied, fruit-forward wine, making it so very appealing during the warm summer months. For serving cool and under screwcap, Cono Sur has produced a great outdoor Pinot Noir which is full of rich aromas and flavours of cherry, plum and strawberry, and a subtle spicy finish. It calls for robust fish dishes and white meats. €8.50

SAN FELIPE MALBEC, ARGENTINA
Argentinean Malbec had to be on this list with barbecued meat often on our summer menu and Argentina being the expert at the grill. This may be deep and intense, yet it is smooth and very approachable with cherry and strawberry aromas intermingled by floral notes of violets. €8.99

HENRI DE VILLAMONT BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES LES TROIS GRACES, BURGUNDY
An excellent red wine for all summer occasions from a picnic to an elegant patio dinner, and one which can also be served slightly chilled. Gamay grapes make this light-bodied, soft and fruity Beaujolais with plenty of cherry and strawberry flavours, crisp acidity and light tannins.€9.50

Time to stock up, but first create some space in your fridge.

THE ROSE SHELF

There’s something about rose that brings on nostalgia – those warm, long and carefree summer evenings. Guaranteed that when providing for a picnic or giving a barbecue, you’re bound to be asked for a glass of rose when offering a drink. Like it or not it’s what’s drinking so best to be prepared and keep some in stock until Summer is well over. What to buy? Well here are a few suggestions from a very long shelf available at Anglo Wines, starting with our 4 best-sellers from Summer 2011.

CESILIA, Alicante, Spain
A delicious blend of Merlot and Monastrell from Alicante. It has a delicate smoked salmon light pink colour, plenty of fruit; strawberry, raspberry, melon and exotic fruits and a powerful yet smooth finish. That Mediterranean feeling in a bottle! €6.99

ESTANDON, Cotes de Provence, France
You’ll find this at many parties this summer. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah give this pale, candy pink rose a sweetly elegant nose of raspberries, peaches and citrus fruits. Its mouth-watering acidity and supple texture make it a perfect rose for local summer cuisine as well as Asian style food. €12.99

DOMAINE DE CASENEUVE, Cotes de Provence, France
Real sunshine in a bottle and one to appreciate at sunset. Packed with ripe berry fruits and an irresistible tang of acidity. It loves to go on picnics! €9.99

ENATE ROSADO, Somontano, Spain
The fact that this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon rose collected 3 consecutive Golden Bacchus awards for Best Spanish Rose says it all. Powerful and remarkably fruity it will show its best with rice, pastas and soufflés. €6.99

TOMMASI CHIARETTO BARDOLINO, Veneto, Italy
Very new at Anglo Wines and we’re sure it’ll be a best-seller this summer. It’s fresh, light and very fruity with lots of floral notes. Another picnic lover, especially on the beach. €6.99

RAIMAT ROSADO, Costers del Segre, Spain
Bright pink colour. Luscious raspberries, strawberries and plenty of black fruit on a clean fresh and citrus finish. Quite an all rounder as ideal with vegetarian dishes, but also with white meat, fish and rice. €4.50

BLOSSOM HILL WHITE ZINFANDEL, California, USA
White Zinfandel and summer simply go together. Bursting with refreshing strawberry and juicy watermelon flavours. Ideal for an early evening dinner or barbecue whilst it’s still light. €5.99

Visit our shop and get to know THE ROSE SHELF.

PURE EXCELLENCE FROM RIOJA

Anglo Wines brings you pure excellence from Spain’s most famous region, Rioja. The wines of Bodega Contador are plenty for the region to be proud to have under its belt, especially when in the last two decades other regions have stepped up their game to produce top wines.

Owned by Benjamin Romeo who after 15 years as winemaker at the renowned ‘bodega’ of Artadi, decided to embark on a personal project to produce top quality wine and one that would bear the real fruits of his labour, determination and dedication.

His spirit, wine-making knowledge, which was embedded in him as a child by his father and grandfather, and ability to always go one step further in his projects, have gained him the recognition as one of the best winemakers in the world.

His first wine, La Cueva del Contador was made between his father’s garage and a medieval castle. Contador followed in 1999 and it was this wine which awarded him staggering success with vintage 2004 achieving a 100 point rating by famous wine critic Robert Parker. Other wines then followed as well as the construction of the new state of the art winery in an area well studied by Benjamin.

From a garage to a top class winery, the future is brilliantly bright for this young winemaker and we certainly look forward to tasting his future. Production of his wines, as you would imagine, is limited and at Anglo Wines we are grateful to be able to stock the following:

Predicador 2008
This is the youngest member of the range and released as an entry level wine by the bodega. It looks young with its deep cherry colour and it feels young with its balsamic notes accompanied by plenty of black fruit and a touch of spice. Guia Penin rated it 92/100. Decanting is recommended and definitely enjoy it with food such as grilled red meats and cured cheese. €17.99

La Vina de Andres 2008
This wine was named after Benjamin’s father and was first produced in 2001. It’s a serious, intense and complex wine, yet is silky and delicate. It has an intense cherry red colour which is almost opaque and its ripe black fruit blends perfectly with the wood and ‘terroir’ feel.
This wine will be at its best from 2015 and will happily cellar until approx 2025. Must be decanted and is great with grilled red meats, stews and roasts. €82.99

Contador 2009
As each vintage is released it must be quite a challenge to follow in the footsteps of the grand vintage of 2004 which was awarded an impressive 100pts by Robert Parker. Nevertheless, Contador is only produced in exceptional vintages so the 2009 certainly lives up to its reputation. Immediately attractive by its brilliant cherry red colour, this wine is everything you would expect – thick, full, elegant, long-lasting with perfect acidity and that very ripe black fruit content over balsamic notes, a mineral edge and a touch of spice. This wine should really be left for a few years before enjoying and can then be enjoyed up until around 2040. Definitely decant to really enjoy. €225.99

Do Wine Labels Sell a Wine?

You can often hear the comment, ‘It’s what’s inside that counts’. That’s absolutely true, but in this world where image is what seems to keep it going round and fast, the pressure exists to design more modern and arty labels which even the more classical wineries from more traditional regions are having to adopt.

Of course, there are still rules to abide by when labelling, but surrounding those labelling laws, changes witnessed in the last decade have been quite dramatic and all to achieve one aim, to be noticed by us, the consumers.

The main change has really been to simplify the label, although at the same time add more information about the wine. Another change has been to go radically different to the norm which at times even includes the shape of the bottle. More traditional wineries haven’t completely let go of that classical image, but instead have made their labels more up-to-date by reducing their size and going for a more modern font or, releasing a new wine with a completely different label to reflect it’s more modern side.

What do we prefer? Can a wine label influence our decision to buy it? Can a label change put us off a wine we’ve always enjoyed? Are we label snobs?

I decided to put myself to the ‘label test’ by spending some time at Anglo Wines to stare at its huge range of wine. True, many wines I know both inside and out so I put myself into the shoes of an unknown and the wines which caught my eye from a distance were those with ‘different’ and/or bright labels. Nevertheless, once up close and personal, other factors came into the game like the quality of the label, the weight and shape of the bottle, the colour of the bottle and of course the information stated about the wine. The fact is that these wines were noticed, however, when does one choose a wine from a distance?! When closer to the range (at a normal distance to touch the bottle and really look at it) I tended to stop at the modern (not necessarily bright), yet smart and elegant wines. Did they make me want to buy them? Well I love tasting new wines so yes, depending on the price!

I took the test further by selecting a couple of well-known wines which had had a recent label change. One label I loved, the other I was not so keen on and I automatically started thinking that its delicious contents had also been changed. There was only one way of finding out. Once tasted, to my relief both wines were as I remember them – there was certainly no change in style to either, although I enjoyed the wine with the stunning label much more and felt that the label of the other didn’t do the wine justice. Perhaps it’ll grow on me, such as with another wine whose label I was never sure about. This particular wine was introduced to me over a year ago and although I found its label strange, I adored the wine so much and still do, that I now love the label too!

Judging from the above, does this mean the label sold me the wine? Perhaps, but it doesn’t end there, I’m also willing to take the plunge and taste it before giving my overall verdict. It’s all about complimenting each other although it’s easier to be won over by a well-liked wine with an ugly label than by a disliked wine with a funky label. We’d probably even go for a wine with no label at all simply because it stands out from the rest, but label or no label, it all comes down to personal taste and I believe that if a wine is still on a shop shelf it’s because somebody likes it enough to buy it!

As for wine label snobbery, that’s solved – simply decant!!

Visit ANGLO WINES and identify your favourite wine labels.

LET'S CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY!

I just couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across Easter eggs at a local supermarket the other day! Already………….. we haven’t even got through Christmas leftovers yet, not to mention Valentine’s Day, and the pressure is already on to grab the ‘favourite’ choccie Easter Bunny before they run out!
Is there anyone who can put a stop to this madness?

Now Valentines Day, more and more commercially exaggerated year after year. I actually do not like it and never have done, BUT, this year I’m welcoming it with arms open wide and I’m going to celebrate it for the first time ever! No, not a change of heart, but simply an excuse to open a really special bottle of wine and more importantly, a way to keep the gap between Christmas and Easter as wide as possible. Honestly, at the rate we’re going, they’ll be heart-shaped Christmas trees next or a big Easter Bunny on the top instead of a star!

Here’s Anglo Wines’ choice of wine for a really special Valentine’s Day celebration, whether a romantic dinner for two or my preferred dinner with a group of good friends.

We just have to start with the wine that most relates to Valentines Day, and that’s sparkling, or if going for gold, Champagne.
SAINT REOL ROSE GRAND CRU is absolutely delicious and will get those tastebuds and everything else tingling with every sip. At only €27.50 you’ll need more than just one bottle to get you through sushi, smoked salmon or caviar and refreshing strawberries which are starting to appear on shop shelves in Southern Spain as we write.

MONTIRIUS GIGONDAS TERRES DES AINES is exquisite with food and will warm up a heart or two during an evening of winter cuisine such as pork and wild miushrooms, duck confit or anything cooked with bacon. Mmmmm, bring on Valentine’s Day pronto!! €21.99

Wonderfully masculine Cabernet Sauvignon just has to be on a Valentine menu. We adore the MONTES ALPHA range from Chile and their CABERNET SAUVIGNON at €16.99 is certainly one for a full blown dinner which ends in some decadent chocolate dessert.

Albariño, cariño (darling)! Impress with the best from Rias Baixas. Elegant and chique GRANBAZAN ALBARINO AMBER at €11.99. A special choice for vegetarians, aswell as fish and chicken-lovers. I love it with seafood pasta.

You can’t have Valentine’s Day without suggesting at least one Romeo or Cassanova! Our choice this year has to be a Venetian wine just to keep it all loved up! The romantic sounding BOLLA LE POLANE VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE is simply sumptuous and will delight anything from rich pastas, grilled red meats, soft cheese and even salmon. €14.99

LAST MINUTE WINE AND FOOD PAIRINGS FOR CHRISTMAS

It’s like BANG and we’re in the middle of the Festive Season, just like that! It kind of creeps up on you and even though you think you’re organised there’s always that last minute rush. So much so, that even the ‘last minute rush’ is becoming traditional!
I’m sure that by now most of you have sorted out your food shopping, but I bet wine is still on some kind of list. Why is this? I can think of a few reasons; 1) with quite a number of lavish meals coming up we like to spend time, which we have less of at this time of year, choosing something special; 2) our special wine choices also need to appeal to everyone’s taste so the indecisiveness prevents us from getting it done; or 3) (without offence!!) drink ordering tends to be left for the male members of the family to organise.
Whichever the reason, wine is definitely on the cards and we get there in the end. In case you’re at that last minute stage, here are some suggestions for a ‘merry’ Christmas.

APERITIF
Champagne is a great way to start a special celebration. St Reol Brut Grand Cru €24.99 is a perfect choice to get those spirits well high. Tweak it a little by adding a little Cassis for a Kir Royale.

PUCHERO (CLEAR CHICKEN SOUP)
This soup together with Drake & Friends Fino en Rama €12.99 really opens up those tastebuds.

ROAST HAM
The start of the roasts, because under our roof this is normally eaten on Christmas Eve and French is perfect. Henri Villamont Brouilly L’Erminette €11.50 or Olivier Leflaive Pommard €35.99

POACHED SALMON
In Spain they tend to have fish on Christmas Eve. Whether Christmas or New Year’s Eve, it’s bound to be on your menu. Elegant choices here with William Fevre Chablis €15.75, Henri Villamont Pouilly-Fuisse €18.99 or Mezzacorona Castel Firmian Pinot Grigio €9.99

TRADITIONAL ROAST TURKEY
As one gets older it’s no longer the gifts, but the turkey lunch with family which we look forward too. Can’t wait!! Dourthe St Emilion La Grande Cuvee €14.99, or Olivier LeFlaive Bourgogne €14.99 and white Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alex Chardonnay €16.99

GOOSE
Anyone? Wines from the Rhone Valley are terrific with goose. Domaine Grand Nicolet Rasteau Vieilles Vignes €14.50 or Montirius Gigondas Terres des Aines €21.99

ROAST PORK
For those willing to stomach New Year’s Day lunch after the night before! Succulent roast pork with Marques de Grinon Petit Verdot €24.99 or Cono Sur Pinot Noir Reserve €13.50

CHRISTMAS PUDDING, MINCE PIES & BRANDY BUTTER
No matter how full, there’s always a little pocket for Christmas pud and mince pies. A favourite is Madeira and we serve it with the stilton that follows too! Henriques & Henriques range at €29.99

STILTON
The marriage made in heaven, Port and Stilton, although as mentioned above, Madeira is also delicious as indeed Chateau Fontebride Sauternes €16.99. We have a wide range of Port including LBV and Vintage by Quinta de la Rosa, Ramos Pinto and Churchills. If serving an assorted cheese board, also serve some white for the softer cheeses.

LEFTOVERS
One of the things we love about Christmas Day is the relaxing evening enjoying a Christmas movie or comedy they tend to air with a sandwich of leftover turkey together with a glass of Champagne!! Perrier Jouet Brut €28.50, St Reol Brut Grand Cru €24.95, St Reol Millesime €29.50
Come January and still getting through the Stilton? An impressive and very easy mid-week supper is a Stilton soufflé with salad and a Bordeaux or Burgundy.

HAVE A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS AND EXCITING NEW YEAR AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE SHOP IN 2012.

WEEKDAY SUMMER WINES FOR WEEKDAY SUPPERS

My favourite times of the day - early morning and late evening. Its that peace and tranquillity that comes with each which almost matches each other. I say 'almost' because although I can spend both in the exact same place with what seems exactly the same overall light, (despite one being sunrise and the other sunset)

psychologically each is a completely different experience. The simple reason being that with morning follows the usual rat race and with evening I'm winding down and seeing that rat race fade in the distance only to be interrupted from thought to suggest a wine to open for the evening. A golden moment and happily one which at this time of year happens all too often!

Whites, roses and more whites are what I can’t get enough of right now. So much so that our little fridge in the basement is connected yet again to take those extra orders. I'm really into light weekday suppers of cold soups like ‘gazpacho’, different salads and anything grilled, so at the moment it’s all dry, light and very drinkable. Here’s a peek at what that basement fridge is offering us this week:

Folonari Soave, Veneto, Italy €6.60 We had this last night with an all in one dish of grilled chicken breast, courgette and aubergine. Just perfect. It’s also a fab party wine. Crisp and fruity with hints of ripe white peach.

Fontana Candida Frascati, Italy €8.54 The most famous Frascati in the world! Dry and crisp with a zesty citrus finish. On the menu tonight with pasta pesto and a mixed green salad. Also very delicious with seafood.

Marques de Riscal Verdejo, Rueda, Spain €6.87 We love this wine. It’s smooth, refreshing with tropical notes and has this slightly bitter touch on the finish. Grilled fish with a salsa verde – so good, so easy and so quick to prepare.

Vina Cimbron Sauvignon Blanc, Rueda, Spain €6.50 A real salad wine. It’s fresh yet also expressive. You’ll find floral notes, fruit and even herbs.

Domaine de Caseneuve Rose, Provence, France €9.99 How about refreshing ‘Gazpacho’ followed by Salade Nicoise? A celebration of the Mediterranean! This is definitely going to be Sotogrande’s summer 2011 rose!

Find them all at Anglo Wines. Buy a mixed case now - we'll deliver FREE of charge locally.

NEW WINES AND LAUNCH WINE TASTING AT ANGLO WINES

NEW Spanish wines have arrived at Anglo Wines courtesy of Bodegas Vitis Terrarum.

Situated in the region of Castilla la Mancha, Bodegas Vitis Terrarum is a pretty new ‘bodega’ having been founded in the year 2000.

Boasting biodynamic cultivation, Vitis Terrarum has a style which is quite different to classic winemaking as we know it. They have tremendous respect for the environment, therefore all agricultural processes are performed manually and only fermented organic sheep residue is used instead of chemical fertilisers. They do not use herbicides or pesticides, and neither do they resort to additional irrigation.

Grapes of mainly Tempranillo and a little Cabernet Sauvignon are hand-picked and sorted after which a natural fermentation process is followed. When it comes to aging, Vitis Terrarum doesn’t follow any set time scale, with the wine being moved from cask to cask 3 times within the year until it reaches the perfect balance between wine, wood and time.

Filtration, clarification and stabilisation are not carried out in order to maintain the qualities of such a fine and laborious wine. Bottling then takes place and the wine is left to age for 12 months under very strict conditions of darkness, controlled temperature and total silence.

Vitis Terrarum produces 20,000 bottles per annum of each of its two wines which are as follows:

Vitis Terrarum Tempranillo

A ‘Crianza’ style red wine using 100% Tempranillo which has been aged in French Allier oak for 12 months and another 12 months in bottle. Combining complexity and structure, this wine is at its best between 5 and 8 years.

Vitis Terrarum Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon

Also a ‘Crianza’ style red wine with plenty of character. Produced from 90% Tempranillo grapes and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon which has spent 12 months aging in French Allier and American oak and a further 12 months in bottle. Best consumed within 5 years.

You’ll have the opportunity to taste these wines at a WINE TASTING at ANGLO WINES in Sotovila No IV, Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro on SATURDAY 23^rd APRIL 2011 from 7.30pm.

Please confirm your attendance by emailing richard.bell-young@anglowines.com

MOTHER'S DAY CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH

Make this Mother's Day really special by treating 'mum' to a very well deserved Champagne breakfast. Or, let her sleep in and surprise her with a Champagne brunch, inviting family and friends, although make sure she really keeps those feet up. After all, anyone can prepare breakfast and even brunch.

Brunch Menu Ideas

Coupe Sante (a muesli, fruit and yoghurt compote)

Waffles topped with Cream and Fruit Compote

Pancakes with Maple Syrup or Chocolate Sauce

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Cold Meat Platter

Smoked Salmon

Chicken Liver Pate

Quiche Selection

Bread Basket (including crispy French baguette, croissants, fresh olive bread, multi-grain loaf and rye bread)

Champagne Recommendations

Being brunch, it's of course the norm to provide fresh orange juice, tea and coffee, although with Champagne on offer, you'll

probably find unused cups and plenty of leftover caffeine!

Here are 3 excellent value Champagnes which are just perfect for brunch and are readily available from Anglo Wines:

Champagne Enkvist Brut €24.40

Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Flavours of baked apple, vanilla and notes of hazelnut.

Champagne Jean-Noel Haton Brut €26.44

Majority Pinot Noir. Fresh, rich and toasty.

Champagne Perrier Jouet Rose €39.99

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier. Fresh and soft fruit - strawberries and redcurrants.

Forgotten Sherry

With countless reports that Sherry consumption is in decline and that producers are engaging in time-consuming and costly efforts to re-launch 'brand Sherry', we think this wonderful wine style deserves some attention. After all, it is unique and is part of that Spanish culture which most of us here in Andalucia enjoy and love; crowded bars that burst with atmosphere and serve finger licking good 'tapas'. It also reminds us of fair week when locals take to the streets in celebration of their 'Feria Real' and enjoy a 'copita de Fino' (glass of Sherry). Even those who don't normally consume Sherry will have a glass! Why the decline in consumption though? Apart from it having an acquired taste, the fact that other more appealing beverages have flooded the market and the consumer seeing it as a drink of the past, we think another reason is that the consumer doesn't quite understand it and will therefore not try it out. But Sherry actually has many advantages in that it's probably one of the best food wines, one consumes less of it, it keeps well once opened and there are so many different styles that it will never bore!

Wine making began in Jerez in as far back as 1100BC and Sherry became very popular, especially in Great Britain in the 16th Century, which led to many styles being developed and cellars founded in Jerez by British families.

Palomino grapes are predominantly used for the dry varieties and Pedro Ximenez for the sweeter styles, as well as Moscatel, although this is not as common.

SHERRY STYLES

Fino: This is the driest and freshest style. The wine is aged under a cap of yeast (flor) to avoid contact with the air and therefore maintain its freshness.

Drake & Friends Fino en Rama €12.99

Lustau Puerto Fino €9.66

Manzanilla: Very similar to Fino although it is aged in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda which gives it a rather unique and interesting salty touch.

Lustau Manzanilla Papirusa €9.66

Manzanilla Pasada: As above, although is has been aged or partially oxidised to release nuttier flavours.

Lustau Manzanilla Pasada €16.99

Amontillado: An aged Fino that has lost its flor and then purposely exposed to oxygen to finish as a beautifully amber-coloured and nutty Sherry.

Rey Fernando de Castilla Amontillado €9.66

Drake & Friends Amontillado 12YO €26.99

Palo Cortado: As with Amontillado, this is also a Fino that has lost its flor, although its style is in between a Fino and an Amontillado. Nutty and complex, yet also fresh.

Lustau Palo Cortado Peninsular €19.84

Oloroso: This ages in barrel for many years without its flor. The result, brown-coloured, wonderfully rich and nutty. A favourite!

Lustau Emperatriz Eugenia Rare €35.60

Drake & Friends Oloroso VORS €79.99

Pedro Ximenez: The darkest in colour and richest in style. It is very sweet and has been produced by dried grapes whose fermentation has been stopped prematurely by the addition of spirit to maintain the sweetness. Delicious poured over vanilla ice cream.

Lustau Pedro Ximenez San Emilio €19.84

Drake & Friends Pedro Ximenez Very Old €69.99

Cream Sherry: A commercial style of Sherry that has been sweetened by the addition of Moscatel or Pedro Ximenez.

Rey Fernando de Castilla Cream €9.66

Shrove Tuesday

It’s Shrove Tuesday this week which means Pancake Day! Make flipping fun and special by pairing with wine. Ca’ Bianca Gavi at € 8.09 is ideal with savoury filled pancakes such as spinach, or if sticking to the favourite, simply lemon and sugar, Prunotto Moscato d’Asti at the special price of € 10.00 is heaven! Go to Delia Online for a spot on pancake recipe.

Further images from the Pago Vineyard

Images from the Pago Vineyard

Vinos De Pago - Pago Wines

What is a Pago wine?

Or rather, a wine with DO de Pago (Denominacion de Origen de Pago) status?

If I mentioned that this was a sub-category in Spain’s quality wine regions table, many would wonder where it fell in status, for we’re all very familiar with ‘Vino de Mesa’ etc and the more popular sub-categories DO (Denominacion de Origen) and indeed DOC (Denominacion de Origen Calificada), which many of us believe to be the highest quality status achievable. Nevertheless, and without crushing the DOC sub-category which represents regions with a proven track record of consistent quality, such as Rioja and Priorat, DO de Pago is the very highest classification a winery can reach in Spain’s Quality Wines Produced in a Specified Region (QWPSR) category.

There are only 10 estates with this status of quality which was first introduced in as recent as 2003. 7 are in the Castilla la Mancha region and 3 in the Navarra region.

Now regional wine laws are strict enough, so what must an estate do to achieve a greater status than DOC you may ask. Well, an estate under DO de Pago can only produce wine from estate-grown grapes having followed strict geographical measures, wines can only be processed and aged at the winery located on the estate and the estate needs to be known to produce wines of exceptional quality.

Anglo Wines lists an exquisite range of Vinos de Pago from an estate in Castilla la Mancha known as Dominio de Valdepusa. Owned by the Marques de Griñon, Carlos Falcó, Dominio de Valdepusa was the first estate to be declared a DO de Pago by the European Union in 2003. It currently produces 300,000 bottles under the advice of the prestigious Bordeaux oenologist, Michel Rolland, concentrating exclusively on red wine production from grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot.

Caliza, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 10.16

A blend of Syrah and Petit Verdot make their entry level wine fruity, elegant and very easy to drink.

Summa Varietalis, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 18.82

Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot plus 12 months in barrel. A really interesting blend. Complex notes of fruits of the forest with mineral and spicy notes.

Marques de Griñon Petit Verdot, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 25.42

A real favourite! Complex and interesting floral aromas with a touch of wood and rich and velvety on the mouth. Really unique with every sip.

Marques de Griñon Syrah, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 25.42

A great example of Syrah – silky and smooth with mature fruit, spice and balsamic notes.

Marques de Griñon Cabernet Sauvignon, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 25.42

Cabernet Sauvignon power giving intense fruit enhanced by cinnamon, tobacco and chocolate.

Emeritus, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 55.94

A powerful, yet elegant and round blend of all three Dominio de Valdepusa grapes varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Certainly decant before serving to really release this wine’s concentrated fruit and aromatic intensity.

Marques de Grinon AAA, DO Dominio de Valdepusa € 122.00

Intense, rich and full, yet with a silky touch and extremely good potential as this wine will simply open up and really improve as it ages. Will keep for up to 20 years!