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. — 2 days ago

Ted

9.1

My third wine from this producer. Outstanding portfolio. Asphalt. High acidity. Sun baked seashell. Herbal and citrus. — a year ago

with Jeni

Joseph Lewinski

9.4

Beautiful blanched Alsace cremant. Pine tar, sharp hard cheese and sour tangerine Altoids circa 2003 (a La Ginny). Notes of olive brine upfront followed by buttery cheese. Enjoyed the shit out of this at Marie Celeste Paris 2023. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

This wine used to be called “Celeste”. A very similar experience to the Blanche Hermitage however it lacks a touch of the complexity. The fruit is still quite tropical with stone fruits and nuts however it came across a bit more round with more power and more of the cotton candy. The finish was a touch more bitter as well reminding me of walnut skin. Very fun to try this wine after the Blanche. As I understand, this is a 60/40 blend of Roussanne/Marsanne. Quite delicious. — 5 years ago

Alia Connor

9.2

Still just love this so much — 6 years ago

Rory Bevins

10

Beautiful with notes of green pepper and tomato leaf. Perfect with seafood. — 7 years ago

Alex Schoeny

9.0

Nice n funky. Earthy but light. Good fizz. Celeste says cherry note. Medicinal - it’s not too yummy (which is a good thing) — 2 months ago

Tobin Spratte

9.1

People whining about earthiness and tannins aren't familiar with Rioja or Spain in general, where heavy oaking is the norm.

I found this fruitier than most Riojas, dominated by raspberry notes and vanilla, backed by mild tobacco, mineral, and chocolate notes. — 9 months ago

Evelina Liljeberg

9.9

Billigt och gott! — a year ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Pale golden color. Aromas of, green pear, lychee, tropical fruit, basil and sweet spices. Green pear and melon on the palate with additional notes of fresh herbs and unripe peach. Hint of saline on the long and silky finish. Tangy acidity and creamy texture. Solid. — 2 years ago

Holly Gamblin

10

@ Celeste in NYC upper west side. Mellow and opened up after 20min, leather and black berry, one of the 3 best Montepulciano out of Italy. Muah! — 4 years ago

Mari Askautrud

9.0

God hvitvin!! Fin gyllen farge, mer søt enn tørr — 6 years ago

with Maren, Siri and 1 other

Shun Kikuchi

9.2

still drinkable and not out of date. Beautifully fading Rioja gran reserva. dried fruits and old fallen leaves. ABV14.0% at Celeste in London — 7 years ago

Daniel Diaz

10

2026 Cruise Wine — 3 months ago

Michael Chelus

9.1

Cherry, raspberry preserves, currant, mossy earth, oak and hints of stewed fruit. Medium-bodied and soft tannins. — 4 months ago

Great Sage

9.7

Bitterness of grapefruit peel balances the fresh green apples and strawberry notes of the wine. Tasty and enjoyable! — 10 months ago

Colin Cahoon

8.9

Lemon, green apple, minerals and salinity. Light bodied, medium alcohol, high acid and medium finish. — 2 years ago

Rachel Morris

9.0

Skin contact white. Great — 4 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2017 | spicy and juicy, frivolous smell, very quaffable — 5 years ago

Oda Lauten

9.0

Spennende hvitvin. Fruktig. Tåkete. — 7 years ago