Cebreros is both the name of the village and the appellation of origin in the southeast of the province of Ávila, within the greater Sierra de Gredos region, the mountainous area located on the continental divide of Spain. The region is unspoiled, wild, rustic, full of energy and light, and as authentic as it gets. It is a transitional zone where northern Spain gives way to southern Spain. The wines from the Sierra de Gredos mountains to the west of Madrid (aka Vinos de Madrid) have finally begun to claim their rightful place alongside other top wine regions focused on producing world-class garnacha. For many insiders, the region is now leading the conversation about this Mediterranean garnacha grape, now understood to be indigenous to Spain.
Telmo Rodríguez discovered Cebreros while traversing the Cañadas Reales (ancient sheep herding trails which criss-cross throughout Spain) with his father in 1999. Enchanted by the old vines and incredible natural beauty of the terrain, Telmo made his first wine there that year with Pablo Eguzkiza. He used the name Pegaso, a tribute to the famous Spanish car and truck manufacturer of the 1940s, which is dear to collectors with an eye for design and style.
The Pizarra vineyards are found on red metamorphic slate soils, which are unique to the village of Cebreros, folded into the mostly granitic mountain range. This slate soil makes Cebreros unlike any other village within the Sierra de Gredos region. Pizarra soil is located above 950 meters, up to 1200 meters, mainly with an eastern orientation. The wines from here have a signature expression: they are always fresh, complex, direct, and profound. Pizarra is a limited production wine produced from over 60-year-old, bush-trained garnacha vines, yielding 15hl/ha from the vineyards of Arrebatacapas, La Redonda, La Curva, Fuente Fabian, and Presidente. The farming at Pegaso is organic, and the wines are made with low intervention and minimal sulfur at bottling.
Vinification
Whole clusters are picked by hand in small boxes, with a strict selection made in the vineyard. The clusters are de-stemmed, crushed, and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks and large neutral French oak foudres. The wine is then aged for 18 months in new and used 600L French oak barrels sourced from different forests.
Region
Sierra de Gredos, Castilla y León
Appellation
Cebreros
Sites
La Curva, Arrebatacapas, and La Redonda
Elevation
950-1200m
Grapes
Garnacha
Vine Age
60+ years old
Soil
Red slate
Fermentation
Fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and large neutral French oak foudres
Aging
18 months in new and used 600L French oak barrels
Farming
Organic
Filtration
None
Vegan
No, fined with egg white
ABV
15%
Pack Size
6x750mL