Pago de los Capellanes : El Picon 2014

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for El Picón 2014 from Pago de los Capellanes

Tasting

Appearance

The wine shows a deep cherry color with intense brown highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals great aromatic complexity. First impressions unveil balsamic notes alongside black licorice and dark spices. With aeration, the bouquet expands with blackberry and forest-floor aromas, elevated by hints of cinnamon, leather, tobacco, truffle, and aromatic coffee. Nuances of dark chocolate and aged wood complete this intense, persistent aromatic profile.

Palate

The attack is powerful and concentrated, with silky tannins that coat the palate in a refined, elegant roundness. The tannic structure, firm and tightly knit, brings depth and intensity. Flavors of ripe black cherry, plum sauce, candied cherry, and blackcurrant mingle with more savory notes of leather, tobacco, balsamic character, and dark chocolate. Fresh, vibrant acidity brings definition to the whole. The long, persistent finish lingers on notes of spice, bay leaf, and subtle orange zest.

Food and Wine Pairings

This wine pairs perfectly with grilled or roasted red meats, notably beef and game. It also elegantly accompanies blue cheeses or aged farmhouse cheeses. Mushroom-based dishes, truffles, and aged charcuterie also make excellent pairings.

Serving and Cellaring

It is recommended to decant El Picón 2014 several hours before serving to allow the aromas to fully develop. The wine can be cellared until around 2026 and has the potential to age for an additional two to three decades.

An intense, complex Ribera del Duero wine

The estate

Founded in 1996 by Paco Rodero and his wife Conchita Villa, Pago de los Capellanes has established itself as one of Ribera del Duero’s most prestigious estates. Located in Pedrosa de Duero in the province of Burgos in Castile and León, the estate now covers around 150 hectares. Paco Rodero, from a family of winegrowers for several generations, transformed the family operation into an internationally recognized property. Today, his daughter Estefanía Rodero Villa ensures the family’s continuity and upholds the philosophy of excellence established by her parents. The estate is recognized as one of the world’s 100 best producers by Wine & Spirits magazine.

The vineyard

El Picón’s vineyard spans 1.5 hectares and is one of the estate’s oldest parcels. The vines, 80 to 100 years old, are located in the immediate vicinity of the winery, at the corner of a cypress-lined path that gave the cuvée its name. The soils are made up of silty clay with a gravel influence, providing natural drainage while maintaining sufficient water reserves. The extreme continental climate is characterized by temperature swings exceeding 20 degrees between day and night during the ripening period, encouraging aromatic concentration and preserving acidity.

The vintage

The 2014 vintage in Ribera del Duero benefited from variable weather conditions that required careful vineyard management. The season made it possible to achieve excellent ripeness, with grapes rich in aromatic compounds and polyphenolic structure. The deep root systems of the old vines helped manage periods of stress and produced berries of remarkable generosity and balance.

Winemaking and aging

Harvesting is carried out by hand in late September in 15-kilogram crates, followed by chilling the grapes. A double selection is performed, first in the vineyard and then on a sorting table at the winery. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled vats with indigenous yeasts selected specifically from the El Picón parcel. After around forty days, malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously in 225-liter French oak barrels over thirty-two days. The aging of El Picón 2014 continues for twenty-two months in Taransaud P5 barrels made from extra-fine-grain oak seasoned for sixty months, with four successive rackings. The wine is neither clarified nor filtered before bottling. Additional aging of forty months in bottle at the estate precedes release.

Grape variety

100% tempranillo (tinto fino)