Pago de Carraovejas

This spectacular estate - jointly owned by winemaker Tomás Postigo and José María of ‘Segovian suckling pig’ fame Mesón José María (http://11870.com/pro/18821) - goes from strength to strength and simply cannot keep up with demand. Accordingly, the originally 50 hectares planted at the beginning of the 1980s have swelled to around 100 - a costly exercise that has involved buying and planting the adjoining plots of land in order that the philosophy and structure of the estate, occupying a single south-west orientated slope at some 850 metres above sea-level, continue unchanged; but the winery and ageing cellars have also had to be extended in order to cater for the extra production. Further, in a region prone to extreme climatic conditions, in order to assure access to decent volumes of quality fruit, outside contracts are now in force - with the winery paying absolutely top whack for grapes grown by outside, strictly supervised suppliers, that are eventually, on delivery, not only hand-selected in a new purpose-constructed nave - with its very own selection tables - but liable to be summarily rejected if they do not fulfill Tomás's exacting criteria. From here, the process continues exactly as it has always down - wholeberry fermentation by variety and batch - free run juice on the one hand and press-wine on the other - each batch aged in a battery of different French and American oaks; with blending of the assemblages conducted the following spring or summer - very often with the winery's coopers summoned to an earlier blind tasting in order that they evaluate impartially the quality of their own barriques... This year, we have 2005 Crianza and 2004 Reserva, in the usual restricted quantities. The Crianza - reflecting the vintage - is altogether dancier and less austere than its 04 predecessor and the Reserva for those in search of something altogether more intense that will unravel over the next year or three. Says Robert P - though we disagree with his timescales and suggest that this be enjoyed over the next 12 to 18 months: 'the 2005 Crianza was aged for 12 months in a mixture of new and seasoned French and American oak. Purple in color, it has an alluring bouquet of toasty oak, spice box, mineral, blackberry, and black raspberry. This leads to a layered wine packed with black fruits, coffee and chocolate. Nicely balanced and concealing ample silky tannin, this wine has several years of aging potential. Although it can be enjoyed now it will be at its best between 2012 and 2022.’ NB: we still have minimal stocks of Crianza Magnums 2002 & 2003 together with a tiny quantity of the single-vineyard Cuesta de las Liebres 2001.