Señorío del Águila

The Señorío del Águila range includes the top wines of the cooperative of Paniza, a modern and progressive winery in the D.O. of Cariñena. Named after the area’s majestic Golden Eagle (“águila” is Spanish for “eagle”), they offer a fresh, contemporary rendering of the classic, oak-aged wines of Northern Spain.

Though less well-known than the nearby regions of Rioja and Priorat, respectively just over 60 and 90 miles away, the D.O. of Cariñena is well established and has a long-standing viticultural tradition dating back to Phoenician and Roman times. The name “Cariñena” was actually derived from its original name “Carae”, when it was founded as a Roman settlement in 50 BC. The region also gave its name to the varietal Carignan (“Cariñena” in Spanish). It is the second oldest Denominación de Origen in Spain, demarcated in 1933 (the oldest is Rioja, demarcated in 1925) and is the most important viticultural region in the province of Aragon.

Virgen del Águila offers more than 6,000 acres of vineyards, nestled against the Ibérico Mountain range. This includes a wealth of old vines Tempranillo and Garnacha, with nearly 190 acres of 50+ year-old un-trellised bush vines that are carefully tended by hand. At elevations of more than 2,500 feet above sea level, it is an extreme terroir where day/night-time temperature swings can reach 50ºF in the summer! In this environment, harvest typically takes place in mid October (vs. in early September, at lower elevations), and the longer ripening period results in fruit with better phenolic maturity and wines with excellent color, concentration, flavor, and aromatics.

Proceeds from sizable and long-established export sales have been wisely re-invested into the vineyards and winery. The bodega is an immaculate, state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of 15 million liters, and includes an impressive underground barrel cellar that houses some 13,000 French and American oak barrels!

The wines are true to their roots and are made in the region’s classic style, with extended barrel (6 – 24 months) and bottle aging (12 – 24 months) before release, but fall distinctly on the modern side of the flavor profile of traditional, oak-aged Spanish reds.  All of the wines include 15% to 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and in contrast to paler, softer styles of Reservas and Gran Reservas, which can sometimes seem a bit tired to New World consumers, the Señorío bottlings are all vigorous wines with impressive concentration and intensity, fresh fruit, balanced tannins, and long lively, finishes. While the wines will certainly resonate with aficionados of Spanish reds, the profile will have broad appeal to American palates. The distinctive, die-cut wing-shaped label, an homage to the region’s Golden Eagle and its high-altitude vineyards, will also stand out and have broad appeal.