2021 Cuesta del Herrero Ayles Vino de Pago 750 ml

We’re not sure we’ve offered any other bottle that so perfectly conveys the red-blooded rustic energy, aristocratic elegance, and stop-on-a-dime precision that defines the best Spanish wine—especially at such a low price.

The 2021 Cuesta de Herrero Aylés comes from one of just 20 elite vineyards to hold the highly coveted Vino de Pago status, one of the highest classifications in Spain, the equivalent of a French Grand Cru. It boasts 92 points from James Suckling and Guia Peñin—Spain’s equivalent of Wine Spectator—who rated it 5 stars in quality for the price. 

Federico Ramón founded Cuesta de Herrero in 2003 and made it his life’s work to be the first to secure Vino de Pago status in Aragón. Aylés, a high-altitude vineyard site—almost 2,000 feet above sea level—has a long history of winemaking dating back to the 12th century, when King Alfonso I granted the land to Spanish monks, who were the first to plant grapevines there. 

The area’s extreme continental climate can deliver insane daily temperature swings—sweltering days give way to frigid nights. Fortunately, the brutal daytime heat gets mitigated by the cool cierzo wind that blows in from the northwest. The Cuesta de Herrero team expertly shepherds the vines through these unforgiving conditions, bringing in grapes that deftly balance ripeness and acidity. 

This release reflects the vivacity and streamlined black-fruit concentration that shows why this wine is in the elite class of Vino de Pago.