100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo)

Food pairings: All kinds of grilled meats, chorizo and mature cheeses; it pairs especially well with roast lamb.

Winemaking: Fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with 15 to 20 days on the skins. Malolactic fermentation takes place largely in new barrels, followed by two months on the lees. The wine then ages for 12 months in oak (60% French and 40% American, 29% new) and spends at least 12 months in bottle before release.

Vineyards and terroir: Celeste Crianza is a selection of the winery's high-elevation plots across Ribera del Duero, between 790 and 900 meters. The winery sits near Peñafiel, close to the town of Fompedraza and the Duratón River, where grey limestone with marl and clay gives carbonate-rich soils. Large day-night temperature swings and cool mountain winds help the Tinto Fino ripen fully. In 2022, a very dry growing season with summer heatwaves gave way to welcome rain during ripening.

Family and history: Pago del Cielo was founded by the Torres family in 2004, and Celeste Crianza was the first Spanish wine the family produced outside Catalonia. Born at 895 meters, where the vines and the sky form a magical connection, it is meant to capture the freshness and intensity of a starry night. Winemaker Juan Ramón García leads the winery. Imported to the US by Wilson Daniels.

In the pictures: Pago del Cielo vineyards in Ribera del Duero.