Navarra: new DO Pago

This is the second wine of the region to achieve the classification, the highest rank in Spanish wine and the equivalent of the French grand cru.

Bodegas Chivite’s DO Pago Arínzano gained its spurs in 2007.

DO Pago Irache, priced at around €100, debuts with the 2006 vintage. The wine is sourced from 30ha of vineyard in the northern Tierra Estella sub-region - the same location as the Arínzano vineyard.

Pago Irache is a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet and Merlot which is matured in French oak.

There are now six DO Pago wines in total. Castilla-La Mancha was the first region to create legislation for the superior category.

It is home to the DO Pago wines Dominio de Valdepusa (2003), Finca Élez (2003), El Guijoso (2005) and Dehesa del Carrizal (2006).

Navarra became the second region to enact Pago legislation last year.