Abadia Retuerta, Pago Valdebellon 2015

This wine, with great character, is made entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. After nearly 30 years, this variety is almost perfectly adapted to the unique enclave of the Pago Valdebelln, with its chalky soil that benefits from the particular microclimate in the highest part of the estate.

The result is a wine of a dark and intense colour, exuding a fresh, delicate air of sweet spices, exotic fruits and mineral aromas. Its persistent bouquet of redcurrant and shrubs accentuates the potential of the variety. Overall, it is a complex and generous wine that has become well-known and recognised as the best Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain.

The Abadia Retuerta is a Spanish winery founded in 1996. The estate is situated just outside the border of the Ribera del Duero region in Spain's north central province of Castilla y Len, near the village of Sardn del Duero. 20 miles east of the city of Valladolid, it lies in wine estates stretching from Tudela de Duero to Peafiel known as the golden mile. Notably, it is just a few miles from Vega Sicilia, producer of Unico.

The climate is extreme continental and semi-desert, with hot summers, cold winters and average annual rainfall of 300 mm to 450 mm. The 54 vineyard plots take up 206 hectares: 146 of which is planted with Tempranillo, 40 Ha with Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 Ha with Merlot, 2 Ha with Syrah and 2 Ha with Petit Verdot.

The wine making facilities were designed by consulting oenologist Pascal Delbeck, proprietor of Chteau Ausone, who still works with the estate along with Angel Anocbar.