This is the sort of project that acts as an antidote against depopulation and rural exodus. After studying oenology in Rioja, completing a Master's Degree in Winemaking and Viticulture and spending some time working in wineries both in Spain and abroad, Daniel Sevilla, who is still a few years short of turning 30, decided to make wine in his hometown of Pozoamargo (Cuenca, DO Ribera del Júcar) from the best vines grown by his father.
Although some trials had been carried out in advance, the winery was hurriedly built in 2017 to vinify the first vintage. It is modelled on the early 20th century family cellars that gradually disappeared when cooperatives concentrated wine production in the area.
The name Las Calzadas (roads) refers to the fact that Pozoamargo was a crossroads in Roman times, as two routes -one connecting Alcalá de Henares and Cartagena and the other one from Córdoba to Sagunto in the Mediterranean- converged here.
Vineyards planted in the 50s, 60s, 70s and to a lesser extent in the 80s are grown at 800 metres above sea level, mostly in sedimentary soils rich in pebbles and boulders, with sand and silt-loam on some plots. The red Bobal is the dominant grape variety, but they also grow Cencibel (aka Tempranillo, which Daniel feels is also indigenous to the area), the white Pardilla and some little-known varieties like Rojal, Cojón de Gato, Pintaíllo, Rompetinajas or Moscatel.
Wines are fermented with natural yeasts and aged in old tinajas (clay jars) sourced from ancient local cellars, some of which are 100 years old. Las Calzadas became organically certified in 2018.
The entry-level range Tinácula (tinaja in Latin) includes a white Pardilla (€7.90 at the winery’s online store, 4,000 bottles) and an interesting, energetic Bobal (€9.90, 1,000 bottles) aged for a few months in tinaja. Tínacula X (€14, 7,000 bottles) is a blend of Bobal and Tempranillo aged in 1,200l clay jars for 12 months.
The single-vineyard El Santillo (994 bottles, €25) was first released in the 2020 vintage. Grapes are sourced from an isolated plot surrounded by forests and planted in 1975 on clay-limestone soils with some sand. The wine is aged in the winery’s oldest tinaja. A field blend of Bobal, Cencibel and Pardilla, the style is softer and more refined with distinctive red fruit and scrubland notes.
Tinácula XXIII, a blend of Bobal and Cencibel aged for 23 months in tinaja, is sold in highly peculiar magnum earthenware bottles. Only 100 are produced, each one retailing at €100 (according to Daniel, the bottle alone costs €25). Fortunately, there is no need to go this far to enjoy the honest style of Daniel Sevilla's wines.
Winery tours are held regularly, and meals can be booked in advance. Outdoor dinners on the patio are the highlight of the summer season.
