The Bierzo region of Northwestern Spain quietly teems with winemaking life. There's ample press fawning over its distinctive wines, which come from some of the most talented winemakers in Spain, but it's still under the popular radar. Tucked between the bulk of Spain's sunnier, semi-arid landscape and the cooler, wetter Atlantic coast, unique grape varieties thrive here. The old vineyards are dominated by Godello for whites and Mencia for reds, though the old tradition of mixed plantings means other varieties still mingle. Among Spain's greatest whites, Bierzo Godellos are typically rounded, with a juicy, softly mineral acidity tucked into its fruit, and ripe tones across the spectrum of fresh orchard fruits like citrus, pear/apple, and peach/apricot. Mencia-driven wines from Bierzo share features of French Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Pinot Noir: velvet-textured tannin with lightly peppery, mineral sensations, and spicy, floral aromas accompanying the juicy dark and red fruits, like brambly blackberry and fresh macerated cherry.
One of the great protagonists of this region is Raul Perez, whose family comes from Valtuille, a temperate area of gently rolling hills in the heart of Bierzo, which is itself surrounded by mountain foothills and dramatically cut valleys. For Mr. Perez, the best expression of the region is "more Burgundy than Bordeaux." By harvesting according to acidity levels and including whole clusters in the fermentations, Raul achieves his particular preference for the reds: medium-bodied and vibrantly juicy on the palate, along with a savory, herbaceous spice counterpoint to the soft, fresh fruit-and-floral tones that come easily for the Mencia variety here. His whites are understatedly complex, with nutty and savory sensations balancing the fruity.
Mr. Perez's winemaking philosophy is at the same time traditional and innovative: he practices organic farming, allows fermentation to start naturally and proceed leisurely, and makes use of lengthy skin macerations. Depending on the wine, aging takes place in a mix of concrete, clay vessels, and mostly older French oak barrels. Raul also minimizes the use of sulfites, a risky choice in winemaking, but for him it's a requirement. The wines are neither filtered nor fined.
La Vizcaína is Raul's line of wines based on old family vineyards in the hills around Valtuille, and the small 'La Vitoriana' vineyard is the oldest of them at 130 years! It's sourced from a sandier, cooler north-facing part of the vineyard. The more lifted and elegant bottling, with gentle tannins, it's a great introduction to Raul Perez's elevated line of reds!
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "I love the 2021 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana, where they use the westernmost part of the vineyard with more sand in the soils, mostly north facing. It's a wine with a floral nose that is aromatic and perfumed, elegant but with clout, with concentration and power. They have been picking earlier and earlier, lowering the alcohol, and they feel more comfortable below 13%; they removed the rusticity and extraction, and the wine is more elegant than ever. It reminds me of the 2018, with similar a profile of freshness. They produced around 5,000 liters from the one+ hectare they have here."
One of the great protagonists of this region is Raul Perez, whose family comes from Valtuille, a temperate area of gently rolling hills in the heart of Bierzo, which is itself surrounded by mountain foothills and dramatically cut valleys. For Mr. Perez, the best expression of the region is "more Burgundy than Bordeaux." By harvesting according to acidity levels and including whole clusters in the fermentations, Raul achieves his particular preference for the reds: medium-bodied and vibrantly juicy on the palate, along with a savory, herbaceous spice counterpoint to the soft, fresh fruit-and-floral tones that come easily for the Mencia variety here. His whites are understatedly complex, with nutty and savory sensations balancing the fruity.
Mr. Perez's winemaking philosophy is at the same time traditional and innovative: he practices organic farming, allows fermentation to start naturally and proceed leisurely, and makes use of lengthy skin macerations. Depending on the wine, aging takes place in a mix of concrete, clay vessels, and mostly older French oak barrels. Raul also minimizes the use of sulfites, a risky choice in winemaking, but for him it's a requirement. The wines are neither filtered nor fined.
La Vizcaína is Raul's line of wines based on old family vineyards in the hills around Valtuille, and the small 'La Vitoriana' vineyard is the oldest of them at 130 years! It's sourced from a sandier, cooler north-facing part of the vineyard. The more lifted and elegant bottling, with gentle tannins, it's a great introduction to Raul Perez's elevated line of reds!
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "I love the 2021 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana, where they use the westernmost part of the vineyard with more sand in the soils, mostly north facing. It's a wine with a floral nose that is aromatic and perfumed, elegant but with clout, with concentration and power. They have been picking earlier and earlier, lowering the alcohol, and they feel more comfortable below 13%; they removed the rusticity and extraction, and the wine is more elegant than ever. It reminds me of the 2018, with similar a profile of freshness. They produced around 5,000 liters from the one+ hectare they have here."
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