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Pago de Carraovejas is now a consolidated reality in La Ribera del Duero, where tradition is combined with the necessary modernity of its facilities. However, it prefers the more conservative inertia by applying a personal rational philosophy aimed at the production of wines with studied percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, in a region where the Tinto Fino variety seems to be the absolute king. An open mind that is defined with a perfect symbiosis between research and creativity, viticulture and oenology, experience and technology, and innovation and personality.
Alma de Carraovejas came into existence under this philosophy, that of creating unforgettable experiences around wine and which harbors new projects which are today a reality, such as Ossian, which offers us the most elegant face of the Verdejo variety or Viña Meín, where Ribeiro wines, full of Atlantic freshness and also touched by the hand of the great Emilio Rojo, shine in all their splendor.
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From its beginnings, in Pago de Carraovejas they have practised the winemaking culture of the area, healthy and rich in contrasts, but always seeking the most significant elements of integration under the premise that wine is born from the vine, the water, the land, in a climate which favours its ripening. Therefore, in Pago de Carraovejas they needed to acquire a full knowledge of nature and the environment beforehand, with the participation of all kinds of research, methodology, tradition and innovation. A philosophy of action that is based on being able to conceive and to personalise its wines from the vineyard. Their winemaking process always begins on the first day of the agricultural calendar.
This premise, aimed at extracting the maximum identities of the terroir and the fruit, has led Pago de Carraovejas to strengthen and consolidate the existing 160 hectares of their own vineyards over the years. These are strategically distributed in different plots, on various soils, altitudes and microclimates, and today each variety is perfectly acclimatised in the best plot. In short, it is a way of proceeding that, along with short and limited productions of its wines, reflects the philosophy and quality commitment of Pago de Carraovejas, harvest after harvest, to maintain itself within the commercial and selective dynamics currently required by wines from Ribera del Duero.
History of Pago de Carraovejas
It was in the 70's when José María Ruiz, a young Segovian with a lot of concerns and curiosities, was called to represent Spain in the First World Contest of Sommeliers, held in Milan. At the time, the Spanish wine culture did not enjoy the popular and professional recognition and prestige it enjoys today, but José María Ruiz earned a well-deserved 5th place among more than 60 countries.
But the most important thing was not the result of the competition, but the experience of setting up his own restaurant, along with his own piglets and his own wine. In 1982, Restaurante José Mara was born in Segovia. This is when he began to transform the concept of the wines that were served in the Castilian taverns.
Some years later, in 1987, José María Ruiz became the lead of a group of wine lovers from Segovia, conceiving the project to create a winery in a good area of red wines. The place they chose were the sloping terrains of Carraovejas, in Peñafiel, three kilometres from Peñafiel. The only thing they needed was to add a component of quality and vanguard that optimised the favourable conditions that this area can offer at all levels, so he decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot along with the Tinto Fino variety. They were also pioneers in the installation of drip irrigation throughout the farm, as well as in the use of French oak in Ribera del Duero.
In 1991, Pago de Carraovejas yielded its first harvest from the first 25 production hectares. In the following years, the vineyard and the winery would increase through successive expansions, through a continuous but steady and meditated growth, always governed by the criterion of not losing any quality, reaching at present 160 hectares of their own vineyards.
Currently, the winery has modern facilities, harmonising traditional forms of production with the most advanced technologies, always with a deep respect for natural processes. Since 2007, Pedro Ruiz, son of José María, manages the winery, maintaining and promoting values in the area of the family-run business.
Work philosophy
Pago de Carraovejas makes an untiring effort every year to reach the levels of excellence in each and every one of the production processes.
The soils are studied in depth. In some areas they are sand and loam, with some limestone and with a lot of stones, while in others they are very sandy, which contributes to the differentiation and the richness of a diverse terroir, managed with the most current techniques of precision winemaking and respecting the characteristics that each unit requires.
For this reason, the winery works with its own clonal selection of its grape bunches and the distinction of micro-ecosystems present in their fermentation, with yeasts and lactic bacteria unique to Pago de Carraovejas, which give its wines a unique sensitivity.
On the other hand, the production of grapes is limited by certain tasks, such as pruning green shoots, removing lateral shoots (“desniete”), thinning of bunches and deleafing. These tasks are carried out manually, always aiming for the maximum quality and balance of the plant, with a precise selection of raw material. The vineyard plantation has three types of predominant soils, distributed through the farm according to the features of the terrain, with three grape varieties: Tinto fino (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; and also with three vine training systems: Cordon Royat, vertical vase and terraces in mountain viticulture. These factors define the terroir and its wines: Autor, Ageing, Reserva, El Anejón de la Cuesta de las Liebres and Vendimia Seleccionada Cuesta de las Liebres.
The grape of Pago de Carraovejas is selected throughout the growth cycle of the plant, it is hand-picked at the optimum time and arrives in small stainless steel trailers. The grape from external suppliers is also the result of meticulous work to study its evolution and ripening, by a team of specialised technicians who verify that all wine growers meet the demanding quality parameters required by the winery. This grape is also harvested by hand and transported in boxes to the winery, where it undergoes a strict control on the selection table. Once in the winery, after going through selection, the grape transport is always carried out by gravity, using a lifting system with a mobile tank called OVI, which moves to the top of the other deposits with the help of a crane. The alcoholic and malolactic fermentation takes place in these stainless steel tanks and also in French oak vats located in an impressive fermentation plant, using its own yeast, selected and developed by the R&D&I team. The ageing plant houses 3,000 French and American oak barrels, which will not be used for more than 3 years.
Throughout the process, organoleptic tastings are performed to determine their final destination: Crianza, Reserva and El Anejón of Cuesta de las Libres, the last two made only from the best vintages; and Cuesta de las Liebres Vendimia Seleccionada, made only from exceptional harvests. After being in the barrel, they are clarified with natural egg white. Bottling is carried out in the spring, and they stay in bottles between 6 and 24 months. Each year, 750,000 bottles are launched on the national and international markets, depending on the production and the features of each vintage.
The winery currently has around 18,000 m2 of built area to house its facilities, having refurbished the old part of the winery. The objective of the last expansions and refurbishments is to facilitate the work, maintaining a leading position regarding winemaking technology and also respecting the traditional techniques that have made Pago de Carraovejas a standard of quality in Ribera del Duero.
Wines from Pago de Carraovejas
At the moment, Pago de Carraovejas has five different wines, although the production of its red "Tinto de Autor" is only commercialised in José María’s restaurant. Also, its red Reservas and El Anejón de la Cuesta de las Liebres are only produced from the vintages, and Cuesta de las Liebres Vendimia Seleccionada is only launched on the market in truly exceptional harvests.
Pago de Carraovejas de Autor is a red wine that is certified by the brand Tierra de Sabor and endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of the Junta de Castilla y León. This guarantees customers and consumers an accurate identification of the origin and the authenticity of the product, also ensuring a high level of quality.
Pago de Carraovejas Crianza is made with Tinto Fino (83%), Cabernet Sauvignon (12%) and Merlot (5%), although these percentages may vary according to the harvest. The fermentation takes place in small stainless steel tanks and oak vats, with local yeasts and bacteria from the farm itself, to express the features of the terroir and respect the singularity of each vintage. The wine is always transferred to the barrel through gravity. It has remained for 12 months in selected French and American oak extra fine grain barrels, and finally clarified with natural egg white.
Pago de Carraovejas Reserva is made with Tinto Fino (76%), Cabernet Sauvignon (16%) and Merlot (8%), although these percentages may vary according to the harvest. Fermentation is also carried out in small stainless steel tanks and French oak vats with local yeasts and bacteria from the farm itself. It is aged for 12 months in selected barrels made of French extra fine grain oak and clarified with natural egg white. In the winery, it is left in the bottle for around 36 months before it is released on the market.
El Anejón is made with Tinto Fino (91%), Cabernet Sauvignon (4%) and Merlot (5%). These percentages may vary according to the harvest. The grape varieties come from a plot located on sloping terrain at 900m of altitude, with slopes that oscillate between 30% and 40%, distributed in a system of terraces. The alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are carried out in small French oak vats, with local yeasts and bacteria from the farm itself. For approximately 12 months it remains in selected French oak extra fine grain barrels, clarified with natural egg white.
Pago de Carraovejas Cuesta de las Liebres is made from Tinto Fino (100%), from a plot planted in 1994. It is located on a hillside at 900 m altitude, with slopes ranging from 30% to 40% on vertical axis system. Soils have a loamy-calcareous texture and great minerality, with the presence of white calcareous salts. The alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are carried out in small French oak vats, with unique local yeasts and bacteria from the farm itself. For approximately 24 months it ages in selected French oak extra fine grain barrels, clarified with natural egg white.
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