Appellation: Vino de Pago
Grapes: Garnacha, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Age of vines: more than 25 years old
Altitude: 650 m.a.s.l.
Soil: The soils of the Cuesta del Herrero plot have a higher calcium component, are mostly sandy and with some boulders.
Climate: Continental Extreme

Viticulture/ Vinification:
By having a very similar maturation cycle, Merlot and Tempranillo ferment together. The same occurs later with Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcoholic fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature and with indigenous yeasts. The malolactic fermentation takes place in second-year French oak barrels, where the wine remains until completing five months of aging.

Vintage 2020 (available; cases of 6)
50% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, 12% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.0%; RS 1.7 g/L; TA 5.1 g/L; Free SO₂ 18 mg/L

Appellation: Vino de Pago
Grapes: Garnacha, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Age of vines: more than 25 years old
Altitude: 650 m.a.s.l.
Soil: Chalk and Clay. The Senda de Leñadores plot is one of the driest and most clay-bearing parts of the estate.
Climate: Continental Extreme

Viticulture/ Vinification
After experience in previous years, they have verified that a higher production demonstrates a higher quality by having a better leaf balance and a slower maturation. Night harvest to take advantage of the thermal jump, so that the grapes enter the cellar in optimal conditions. Separate alcoholic fermentation at controlled temperature and with indigenous yeasts. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in second-year French 225 litre barrels followed by ageing for 10 months.

Vintage 2020 (cases of 6)
55% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.5%; RS 1.9 g/L; TA 5.6 g/L; Free SO₂ 59 mg/L

97/100 & Best in Show — 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards
There is yet more impressive Iberian Best In Show value from this Pago wine, the first in Aragon: Ayles, sited near to Zaragoza. It’s a young blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo with a little Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and stood out for successive panels of judges thanks to its generosity, poise and charm. Dark black-red in colour, its sweet, pure black-cherry and plum fruits waft alluringly from the glass. The concentration is remarkable for this price bracket, and the combination of indigenous varieties with a seasoning of Bordeaux favourites brings the wine a complexity which almost comes as a surprise after its aromatic sweetness. Its a wine from evidently propitious vineyards — about which we will surely hear more in future.

International Wine Competition (IWC) 95/100 points
“Light and elegant, ripe spicy fruit, juicy acidity, rich and textured palate, prunes and damson, chalky tannins. Will benefit from aging.”
– Annette Scarfe, MW

Wine in Black rating: 95 Points
Only 18 wineries are allowed to adorn themselves with the quality level Vino de Pago – the Spanish equivalent to the French Grand Cru classification. Climate, soil, age of the vines and the fact that the wines must reflect the terroir character in perfection are just a few of the strict criteria. So we’re talking about the crème de la crème of Spanish winegrowing. One of these wineries is Pago Aylés. Although it was only founded in 1994, a wine with this legendary status was already vinified in 2010. And that caused a sensation at the time, because it was the very first Pago young wine in the world, which then took it by storm. It was followed by the first Pago-Rosé, which cemented the name Pago Aylés permanently in the Olympus of Spanish winegrowing.

But the Pago Aylés crew does not rest on all these laurels. On the contrary! Their latest Pago hit is the ‘Cuesta del Herrero’, which was vinified for the first time with the 2018 vintage and is now coming onto the market. ‘Cuesta del Herrero’ means ‘slope of the arbitration’. A name that you can see directly from the wine – thanks to the look. Because on the one hand the capsule is held in a metal look, on the other hand the oblique label should symbolize the slope. Here, attention was paid to the smallest detail. All of this is of no use if the quality is not right. In this case, you can be safe. Because while most new wines have received little attention on the market for the first few years, the first edition of the ‘Cuesta del Herrero’ at the International Wine Challenge 95 points! This achievement is only topped by the fabulously low price with which this exceptional wine comes along!