Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Pago del Cielo Celeste Verdejo Sur Lies 2023 – Rueda DO, Castilla y León, Spain 🇪🇸

Overview
Made from 100% Verdejo, this wine undergoes sur lies aging, allowing extended contact with the lees to build texture and complexity while preserving the variety’s vibrant freshness. The result is a beautifully balanced Verdejo that overdelivers with remarkable depth and value.

Aromas & Flavors
Lime zest, grapefruit, green apple, white peach, fennel, fresh herbs, and subtle citrus blossom are complemented by delicate lees-derived notes of fresh bread and almond.

Mouthfeel
Bright and energetic with lively acidity wrapped around a creamy, silky texture. The sur lies aging adds weight and complexity without introducing buttery richness, creating a beautifully focused and refreshing finish.

Food Pairings
Grilled shrimp, oysters, ceviche, seafood paella, roasted vegetables, goat cheese, sushi, or herb-roasted chicken.

Verdict
An expressive and remarkably well-crafted Verdejo that combines freshness with texture in a way few wines at this price point achieve. Elegant, refreshing, and immensely satisfying.

Did You Know?
“Sur lies” means the wine remains in contact with its spent yeast cells after fermentation. Gentle stirring of the lees (bâtonnage) can further enhance creaminess and complexity while preserving freshness, a technique often associated with top white Burgundies but increasingly embraced by premium Verdejo producers.

🍷 Personal Pick
This wine genuinely surprised me. It delivers far more complexity than expected, with the creamy lees texture beautifully balancing its vibrant acidity. For anyone who thinks Verdejo is simply another crisp white, this bottle proves just how compelling, and underrated Rueda can be. — 14 days ago

Bonnie Chu

9.0

Gambero Rosso Tre bicchieri l 🇮🇹 trade tasting, cherry and 💪 — 4 months ago

Thomas Royko

8.9

Lovely dark fruit with soft leather notes and a pleasant terroir, aged beautifully, sadly last bottle! — 5 months ago

Tanetha Jamay

10

Finishes clean. Crisp. Drank in LA hotel — 2 years ago

Duane Nicholson

9.1

Let’s qualify this statement by saying that I’m not a wine connoisseur. That said, I really enjoyed this wine. Not overly sweet and smooth.. — 4 years ago

Chris MacLean

8.9

Solid for mixed appetizers. A touch oxidized but retains freshness. — 5 years ago

with Sarah

Rand Bass

8.9

At Tutti Fresco in Port St Lucie. — 25 days ago

with Debra

JKT

9.0

At Pino’s. First time, just a taste. Straw and stones followed by very acidic lean palate and long finish. A good pairing wine — 2 months ago

Goober Raisinette

9.3

Costco. $15.89. Good. Will drink a lot. — 4 months ago

Steve Rura

9.3

Last bottle of this beauty, so I’m posting it again! Delicious with gnocchi and Brussels sprouts. Needs at least 2 hours of air. — 5 months ago

Angela Sanks

9.0

really tasty! cherry, blackberry, day old strawberries…. Full bodied and complex! Steal for $10 — 8 months ago

Jan de Weerd

9.4

Fantastic Chianti! Dusty, earthy, expressive, full body. What else? Dark fruit carried by notes of leather, cigar box. Crazy, all that for a Chianti, how is that possible 🤓. — 4 years ago

with John and Tammy

Brock Emerson

9.0

Alternative to the Rosato we had with Zalla at Table X (August 2021). — 5 years ago

with Joseph

Danny Fortier

9.5

Easy drinking. Acidic but good. Light red. Good warm weather wine. — a month ago

Mo

8.9

Probably approaching or at its peak, an inexpensive Riserva that paired nicely with mushroom ravioli with an olio and sun dried tomato sauce. — 2 months ago

Daniel Diaz

10

2026 Cruise Wine — 3 months ago

Audrey Nadeau

9.5

De la cerise noire séchée, de prune et de confiture de petits fruits rouges. ​Aussi des arômes de cuir, de tabac blond. — 5 months ago

ESF

9.0

really solid QPR - fantastic for what it is - versatile well-made, varietally correct & no rough edges, red fruit forward w/hint of spice med weight/med acidity — 5 months ago

Neil Blaze

9.0

This beauty offers up notes of peach, pear, and spiced citrus, balanced by a flinty minerality. Very enjoyable. Made from partially dried grapes. 100% Garganega. 11/5/22. — 4 years ago

Tim Mead

9.0

From Mathison’s very good w/ pizza — 5 years ago