Finca el Tesso, Ángel Martínez Paiva

	Extremadura, España. (Ribera del Guadiana) 320 hectares.
	Finca el Tesso. (FEEN-kah el TAY-so)
	Ángel Martínez Paiva. (AHN-hel mahr-TEEN-ez PIE-vah)
	Ángel Martínez Paiva. (AHN-hel mahr-TEEN-ez PIE-vah)
	Hand-harvested. No irrigation.
	4,000 cases.
	Finca el Tesso has been part of the Small Vineyards family since 2008.

The Ribera del Guadiana D.O. is not famous–at least not yet–but one winemaker in this quasi-anonymous zone is quietly making some of the best, fresh-style Tempranillo in Spain. Ask any local and they all know Ángel Paiva, the charismatic owner/winemaker of Finca el Tesso. A true family affair, five different members of the Paiva family run the estate, all in different roles, and have done so for five generations! Established in 1876, the Paiva farm is large in terms of land, as they grow many agricultural products, including some of the most viscous, powerful olive oil one will ever taste. “Finca el Tesso” is the name of their finest cru. Here, they grow familiar varietals, as well as Graciano, a rare varietal that–when in the hands of an expert–absolutely blossoms in the glass; at the moment, they are using it primarily as a blending grape. As for their stunning Tempranillo, it is nothing short of a celebration of fresh fruit. Delicate, yes; ripe, yes; juicy, yes, yes, yes! And, in case one doubts, Paiva’s wines are also wonderfully complex, from vines as old as a half a century. Simply put, a “young” Tempranillo simply doesn’t get much better. Hailing from the region of Extremadura, the estate is in rural Western Spain, where the local joke is that there are more sheep than people (but the cheese is fantastic). When compared with other wines from the region, the wines of Finca el Tesso are remarkably elegant–powerful, but polished. These wines are taut, stylish, and even feminine, with focus, length, and intensity.