Pago de La Jaraba, Vino de Pago D.O.P. (La Mancha, Spain) 2021 ($30, Grapes of Spain / Aurelio Cabestrero)

I should know by now, and yet I never cease to be amazed by tasting the lineup of releases from this producer side-by-side in succession, starting with the least expensive wines and working my way up to this flagship “Pago” bottling. On every step up, I think that the next wine can’t match the value offered by the previous one at a higher price point, and on every step up — I’m proved wrong. Of course, I understand that someone looking for a very good, everyday wine at a flinch-free price should go for the $13 Cosecha 2022 or the $15 Crianza 2019 from this house. But my initial point remains true: The quality-to-value ratio from La Jaraba just keeps getting better as the wines become more expensive, which is not only contrary to the norm among worldwide wine producers, but also contrary to what economists refer to as the “law of diminishing returns” (which maintains that every additional increment in expense will be rewarded with less and less quality and enjoyment quotient). While trying to avoid getting all professorial about this, here’s a simpler explanation: The 2022 Cosecha priced at $13 is better than almost any $18 competitor, but this $30 wine is better than most ringing up for $50, so in relative terms, this is actually (or at least arguably) the better deal. What really matters, however, is whether this wine is sufficiently gorgeous to truly merit 95 points at a price of $30…and I’m convinced that any experienced wine lover will agree that it is. Although it went through elevage in 100% new French oak barrels, you’d never know that on account of any overt oakiness at this point in its evolution. It does show the effects of that wood exposure with layers of spice and subtle toast — and indeed it should, given the price of those barrels, which makes the asking price of this wine all the more amazing. Yet the silky texture and pure fruit of the wine aren’t remotely compromised by the cooperage, and there’s not a hint of astringent wood tannin in the finish to add to any effect of the tannins extracted from grape skins and seeds during maceration and fermentation. That is not an easy outcome to achieve — as will be understood immediately by anyone who knows a bit about vinification. The blend here is 70% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot, and the result is (like the 2021 “Selección Especial”) a bit more like what you might expect from Bordeaux than Rioja or Ribera del Duero—despite all that Tempranillo. This is an achievement of a very high order, and a wine that merits the attention both of budget-buyers looking to trade up but also collectors looking for outstanding value wines in a time of economic uncertainty.
95 Michael Franz