Clara Concejo is the dynamic entrepreneur behind Vega Clara, the small but mighty estate located in the village of Quintanilla de Onesimo in the Ribera del Duero appellation, the most famous wine of the Valladolid municipality and one of Spain’s great red wines. The Concejo family have owned vineyards in the region for many years but it wasn’t until 2010 that Clara built a winery in Quintanilla and set about making high-quality wines from three separate and distinct plots of vines, 12 hectares in total, which she farms organically.

Vega Clara winery is situated adjacent to one of her prized vineyards where she grows the traditional grape variety of Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo but she also grows Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache in sites that are more suited to these varietals. With different microclimates and soil types ranging from sand and clay to limestone and loam, she prefers to create blended wines that are, at the same time, both traditional and modern. Her efforts have been rewarded with the top-end wines much in demand. The wine featured here, the 2023 Jilguerin (Goldfinch), is a great introduction to her style of winemaking and her commitment to ecological and sustainable viticulture.

The Jilguerin Ribera del Duero is a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for a period of 4 months in French and American oak barrels. It’s designed to be drunk young when the wine is fresh and vivacious and while you’re waiting for more serious Riberas to mature; perhaps her top wine, the D’Acan Clara, a blend of 80-year-old Tempranillo and Grenache that sells for over $175.00. In the meantime, I recommend that you save lots of money and drink the Jilguerin to your heart’s content.