Pago Guijoso is one of Spain's estate-specific Vinos de Pago. The estate is located near El Bonillo, just a few miles from fellow VP Finca Elez. Pago Guijoso is in the Albacete province in the south-east of Castilla-La Mancha. The pago (estate) became a VP in 2004, making it the third estate to be awarded the status. In true VP spirit, the pago has been a pioneer in the field of viticultural and vinicultural research and in its environmental commitment, all while producing consistently high-quality wine.
The family vineyard was established in 1996 and is part of a much bigger property of 7410 acres (3000ha) used for diverse purposes ranging from olives, livestock and hunting, to producing renewable energy through solar panels. The area allowed to produce grapes for the pago is 242 acres (98ha). Additional areas are under vine, but these do not qualify for VP status and their wines are bottled under the Bodegas Sánchez Muliterno label, which is the name of the family who own the estate.
Pago Guijoso occupies a special parcel of land close to the Pinilla River, the primary source of the important wine river, Guadiana. The vineyards sit at 3280ft (1000m) above sea level, which has a significant impact on the estate's climate, which is continental. The high altitude means that there are significant diurnal temperature variations during the ripening season – ideal for high-quality wine production. Guijarro (pebbly) and guijos (gravel) make up the topsoil and give rise to the guijoso in the pago's name. Beneath the topsoil lies loams and sandy pebbles. The vines receive an average of 2800 hours of sunshine and 12–16 inches (300–400mm) of rainfall a year.
Pago Guijoso grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Tempranillo as well as two white-wine varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. It specializes in red wines, producing three: one blend and varietal Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The estate produces just one white wine, a varietal Chardonnay. Its 'Magnificus' Syrah is its most prized wine.
The estate is very experimentative; it has a number of trial plantings involving Trincadeira, Nero d'Avola, Tannat, Carmenere and Semillon. It employs a technique of hydric stress (meaning evaporation is greater than absorption), which is designed to force vines' roots to dig deep into the soils in search of water, accumulating different elements and minerals which are expressed in the wine. Furthermore, it has been involved in a project with the University of Castilla-La Mancha to capture wild yeasts from its own pago. It is one of very few vineyards to do so in Spain. This means that the wine is even more expressive of its unique terroir.
Guijoso is an environmentally conscious estate renowned for producing balanced, structured and complex wines that are distinctive of the pago.
