Pago de Carraovejas 2021

The eponymous 2021 Pago de Carraovejas comes from a cooler year when they consider the grapes had exceptional quality. The bottled wine is composed of Tinto Fino with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot with 15% alcohol but good freshness and integration of the oak after spending 12 months in 226- and 600-liter barrels. It's medium to full-bodied, with fine tannins, a juicy mouthfeel and a tasty finish. This is a more elegant Carraovejas. It was bottled in the spring of 2023.

Vibrant plums, cherries, cocoa powder and stones on the nose. Quite fresh on the medium- to full-bodied palate with sleek tannins that are evenly spread. Linear and polished. Very well crafted. Drink now or hold.

The regular Carraovejas bottling uses grapes from as many as 80 different parcels in Peñafiel, picked in three different stages. Featuring Tinto Fino with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, complemented by one third new oak, it has top notes of thyme and rosemary, sturdy tannins, fig and bramble fruit and the freshness that's a feature of the 2021 vintage. 2024-30