Pago Calzadilla is one of Spain's estate-specific Vinos de Pago. It occupies a special area of land known for consistently producing distinctive wine of high quality. It is located just outside Huete, a village in the Cuenca province of Castilla-La Mancha, and is just 75 miles (120km) from Spain's bustling capital, Madrid. The estate is family owned and operated and specializes in red wines. It draws its name from the Antigua Calzada Romana (Ancient Roman Way) upon which it lies; calzadilla means 'little road'.
Viticulture in the Castilla-La Mancha region is thought to have originated in Ancient Roman times and was widespread during the Middle Ages. However, Pago Calzadilla was founded much more recently, in 1980, and was initially known as Bodega Familiar Uribes Madero. It was not until 1992 that wines were bottled under the Calzadilla name.
The estate is idyllic, lying in the Rio Mayor river valley and overlooked by rolling mountains, into which some terraces have been cut for vines. The picturesque area, known as La Alcarria, boasts plentiful flora and fauna and is renowned for its honey and lamb.
The vineyard sits at an altitude of between 2950ft and 3280ft (900-1000m), which is an influencing and distinguishing factor in Pago Calzadilla's wines. Its location in the valley floor means it is prone to frequent mists and strong winds, which are welcome phenomena as damaging frosts would otherwise be an issue.
The estate covers 64 acres (26ha), although only 49 acres (20ha) are under vine. When the vineyard was first planted in 1980, Spanish natives Tempranillo and Garnacha were planted, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1992, Syrah was added. All vines are grown using the espalier vine training method, in which stakes are used to support the plants.
Pago Calzadilla is very non-interventionist in its approach. The grapes are selected and picked by hand, then cooled before being vinified in the bodega (winery) onsite. The bodega is all gravity fed, thus no pumping is required. No filtration or stabilization is done to the wine. All aging is carried out onsite also (a requirement of VP status) and the estate uses a combination of American and French oak barrels, which are all less than three years old. The cellar is large enough to store bottles for further aging for up to four years.
Pago Calzadilla produces four red wines, three of which are blends. The other is a varietal Syrah. The estate's flagship is the Gran Calzadilla, which is made from the oldest vines. Wines are typically unctuous and structured and capable of long-term cellaring.
