Torres Pago del Cielo Celeste Crianza 2016 Ribera del Duero, Castilla y León, Spain 75cl

Familia Torres, in the wine trade since 1870 and one of Spain’s most respected wine families, makes Celeste at its Pago del Cielo estate in Ribera del Duero. The name means heaven, chosen for the high, sky-facing vineyards that sit among the best in the region.

The wine is pure Tinto Fino, the local name for Tempranillo, grown at around 900 metres near Fompedraza, just south of Peñafiel. That altitude, along with poor, stony soils and a harsh continental climate, gives small, thick-skinned, concentrated berries while helping the wine hold on to fresh acidity.

The 2016 vintage in Ribera del Duero was balanced and of good quality, producing ripe fruit with the firm structure that stands up well to oak ageing.

Around a year in French and American oak, followed by a further year in bottle, bring deep black cherry and blackberry fruit, toast, sweet spice and a velvety texture, with firm but polished tannins and a long finish. It is worth decanting an hour ahead, and pairs naturally with roast lamb, grilled beef, game or a mature cheese. There is enough structure here to reward a few more years in the cellar as well.

A modern, altitude-driven Ribera del Duero from a benchmark producer whose name carries real weight across Spain and beyond. Celeste is the family’s dedicated project in the region, and its high vineyards are the reason the wine keeps its freshness where lower sites can turn heavy. If you like structured Tempranillo that balances power with freshness, it delivers both with poise, and offers a polished, dependable introduction to one of Spain’s great red-wine regions.