
- Vintage
- 2023
- Region
- Spain
- Grape
- Tinta de Toro
- Type
- red
- ABV
- 14.5%
- Volume
- 75cl
- Aging
- 11 months
- Production
- Organic
- Barrels
- French oak
- Barrel age
- Used
Arenisca Paraje Los Pilones · 2023
Arenisca Paraje los Pilones is an unusually fresh wine, especially bearing in mind the region where its grapes grow. It is less extracted than most DO Toro wines and includes some white grapes cultivated alongside red ones, as happens in many old vineyards. It boasts a smooth and juicy palate with pleasant tannins and a serious finish. The oak is perfectly integrated thanks to the use of different sizes and ages of casks, but remains in the background behind its fresh black fruit and elegant earthy notes. A fleshy but graceful wine, it displays an excellent combination of strength and nimbleness. Arenisca Paraje Los Pilones is a wine that exudes passion and clear thinking, a pure and undisputable interpretation of a land and its fruit by a family in love with winegrowing. As usual with Cantalapiedra wines, it is made with organically-cultivated grapes from old Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) vines planted at altitudes of 780 metres in Villabuena del Puente, a small village 20 km from Toro although the wine does not bear the Toro DO label. It is named after the sandy-soil Paraje Los Pilones plot of vines. It is produced and aged at the Cantalapiedra winery in the small town of La Seca. About 20% of the grapes are fermented with their stems before undergoing a malolactic fermentation with the other 80% of the wine. Finally the wine is aged for almost a year in French oak. It is bottled unfiltered and unclarified without sulphites.
Picota cherry red, Intense
Fruit aromas, Red fruit, Black fruit, Spicy notes, Mineral, Dry stone, Mountain herbs, Lactic notes
Smooth, Juicy, Rounded tannins, Well-integrated wood, Structured, Good acidity
Roasted pork, Red meats, Oven-cooked meats, Roast meats, Stewed meats with mushrooms
About the vineyard[+]
Buy Spanish Wine Online — Delivered to the UK Vinissimus is Europe's leading online retailer of Spanish wine, with over 4,000 bottles from every major region — Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Rías Baixas, Rueda, Jerez and beyond. Founded in Barcelona in 2005, we have been selling Spanish wine longer than anyone else online. Delivery across the UK and £10 off your first order. Spanish wine regions Spain has more land under vine than any other country in the world. The regions most worth knowing for UK buyers: Rioja: Spain's most recognised wine region internationally. Tempranillo-based reds aged in American or French oak — Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. Reliable quality across all price points. Ribera del Duero: high-altitude plateau wines from Tempranillo (known locally as Tinto Fino). Fuller-bodied and more concentrated than Rioja, with darker fruit and firmer structure. Priorat: steep slate terraces in Catalonia producing some of Spain's most powerful and expensive reds from old-vine Garnacha and Cariñena. The only Spanish region with DOCa status alongside Rioja. Rías Baixas: Galicia's answer to the world's demand for fresh white wine. Albariño — aromatic, citrus-driven and saline — is the grape. Excellent with seafood. Rueda: Verdejo-based whites from Castile, crisp and herbaceous. Spain's most reliable everyday white wine region. Jerez: home to Sherry — Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez. One of the world's great wine styles, still undervalued relative to its quality. Spanish red wine Spanish red wine is dominated by Tempranillo — Spain's flagship grape, grown in virtually every major red wine region under different names (Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero, Cencibel in La Mancha, Ull de Llebre in Catalonia). Garnacha is the second most important red grape, producing ripe, warm and full-bodied wines in Priorat, Navarra and Aragón. For buyers new to Spanish red wine, Rioja Crianza is the safest starting point — consistent, food-friendly and available across all price points. For something more serious, Ribera del Duero Reserva or a Priorat from a smaller producer will reward the step up in budget. Spanish white wine Spanish white wine is less well known than Spanish red, but worth exploring. Three regions produce whites that stand out on their own terms: Rías Baixas Albariño: fresh, aromatic and mineral — one of Europe's best food whites Rueda Verdejo: crisp, herbaceous and easy to drink — good everyday alternative to Sauvignon Blanc White Rioja: barrel-aged Viura with texture and complexity — underrated and underpriced relative to the quality Spanish sparkling wine — Cava Cava is Spain's answer to Champagne, made using the same traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle. The main production zone is Penedès in Catalonia, using indigenous grapes — Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada — alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Vinissimus stocks a wide range of Cava, including small producers — Gramona, Recaredo and Llopart — that are rarely available outside specialist retailers. These are wines that compete with entry-level Champagne at a fraction of the price. Why buy Spanish wine from Vinissimus Three reasons this is the right place: Depth of catalogue: over 4,000 Spanish wines — more than any other online retailer in the UK. If a wine is made in Spain, we almost certainly have it. Expertise: founded in Barcelona in 2005 by a Spanish wine specialist. Twenty years of sourcing relationships with producers across every region. Trust: Trusted Retailer and Recommended Shop by Robert Parker Wine Advocate, the world's most influential wine publication. FAQ What is the most popular Spanish wine? Rioja is the most internationally recognised Spanish wine — Tempranillo-based reds aged in oak, produced in the Rioja DOCa in northern Spain. For whites, Albariño from Rías Baixas has become one of the most popular Spanish whites in the UK market. What Spanish wine is similar to Malbec? Garnacha from Priorat or Navarra is the closest in terms of body and dark fruit. Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero is another good option — fuller and more structured than Rioja, with similar weight to a mid-range Malbec. What is the difference between Rioja and Ribera del Duero? Both are Tempranillo-based reds but with distinct characters. Rioja is more elegant, with oak-driven vanilla and spice notes. Ribera del Duero is grown at higher altitude, producing darker, more concentrated wines with firmer tannins and less obvious oak influence. What Spanish white wine should I try first? Albariño from Rías Baixas if you enjoy fresh, aromatic whites. Verdejo from Rueda if you want something closer to a Sauvignon Blanc in style. White Rioja if you prefer something with more body and oak character. Does Vinissimus deliver to the UK? Yes, delivery across the UK. If a bottle arrives damaged, we send a replacement at no cost.