Grandes Pagos de España welcomes new member

Spanish association Grandes Pagos de España has welcomed a new winery into the group.

The Fuentes del Silencio team. (Photo: Fuentes del Silencio)

Fuentes del Silencio, the first property to join the group from the León region, is a 30-hectare estate in the Jamuz Valley, situated in the northwest of Castile and León.

The region has come under the spotlight in recent times, as a once moribund winegrowing industry is being rejuvenated by pioneers such as Fuentes del Silencio.

“We are delighted to be part of Grandes Pagos de España, since it offers us the opportunity to work and improve our craft, thanks to a group of wineries who represent the elite of Spanish winemaking,” said the winery’s founder, Miguel Angel Alonso.

“This opportunity will help us to promote and share the magnificent and centuries’ old vineyards of the Jamuz Valley,” he added.

Grandes Pagos de España, a non-profit private association, was founded in 2000 by two winery owners – Carlos Falco and Victor de la Serna. It now boasts a membership of 29 wineries, united in their mission to promote Spain’s terroir-driven, single-estate wines.

After its establishment in 2000, the association quickly expanded its ranks, attracting a diverse membership including Gramona, LVMH-owned Numanthia and small, family-owned wineries such as Mustiguillo.

It’s an eclectic firmament, representing pretty much every region of Spain and not simply the export superstars – Alicante and Utiel Requena also make an appearance in addition to Rioja and Ribera del Duero.

The group maintains a rigorous set of standards; numerous checks and balances are in place to ensure that potential members fulfil the strict criteria for entry.

Potential members must produce a wine from a single vineyard, boast a unique terroir and have their application sponsored by at least two existing members of Grandes Pagos de España.

A recent study by Biome Makers indicated that the vineyards of Fuentes del Silencio sit on auriferous sediments, formed by sandy-clay conglomerates.

“The soil of these vineyard lots were mined for gold in Roman times, a fact that has produced a unique territory named ‘Auro-Terroir,’ because of its composition, rich in aurous sediments that favour the existence of different types of autochthonous bacteria,” said a statement released by Grandes Pagos de España.