2016  Bierzo Tinto

Bierzo Tinto - Village: Valtuille de Abajo -- Vineyard: El Rapolao -- Year of plantation: One parcel in 1920 and another in 1980 -- Hectares: 1.5 -- Altitude: 550 meters ASL -- Soil: Clay in the older parcel with more organic material in the younger one -- Orientation: North and West -- Plant density: 3600 vines / hectare -- Varieties: Mostly Mencía with Bastardo (Trousseau), Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) -- Elaboration: Whole cluster fermentation in large oak vats. 30-day maceration followed by one year of aging in used 225 and 500-liter barrels. Bottled without fining or filtration. -- "D:95 – A blend of Mencía with Bastardo and Alicante Bouschet from a 1.5ha plot at 550m, fermented with stalks in open-top vats then aged for a year in 225l and 500l barrels. It's intense, with a complex aromatic expression showing nice red cherry fruit with clear development of dried fruits and a slight brioche character. It's delicately built - round, open and multi-layered. It shows maturity and finishes with elegance and emotion, very slowly." Drinking Window 2018 - 2030 -- WA: 95+ - "The cool and elegant character of the El Rapolao plot seems to have been amplified by the weather conditions in the 2016 La Vizcaína El Rapolao. Pérez does not own all the vineyards, so sourcing can sometimes vary within the same vineyard, and since 2016 it comes from two old plots where the Mencía is mixed with other varieties; the wine seems to have gained in depth and complexity as a result. In 2016 he did a slightly shorter maceration and matured the wine in 500-liter oak barrels for a little over 12 months. The vineyard yields well, and the wine is always expressive, balanced and elegant. It seems like slightly higher yields suit it better, and the wines have good tension and an herbal twist that adds to the complexity and freshness. 5,000 bottles produced."

2013  'Las Gundinas'

'Las Gundinas' -- La Vizcaina is Raul Perez's project, working with family vineyards in his hometown Valtuille de Abajo. The "cru concept" here is to use identical winemaking practices on wines made from different hillsides in the village: all are 100% whole cluster fermented in mostly large (but some small, as needed) old oak vessels. Aged 12 months in French barriques. Very small production. All the wines are labeled as 100% Mencia; but in fact very few vineyards planted before the 1990s are 100% Mencia. Located on the Camino de Santiago pilgrim's route to Santiago de Compostela, the Bierzo region is home to many different vine orphans that were brought as hostess gifts from regions throughout Europe. These include, but are not limited to: Alicante Bouschet, Merenzao (aka Trousseau), and Jerez (aka Palomino Fino). In order to avoid complications and confusion, the DO years ago turned a blind eye to this reality and permits winemakers to label predominately Mencia wines as 100% Mencia in order to take the Bierzo DO. Organically farmed. WA: 94

2010  Crianza

100% Mencia from a tiny northwestern region near Galicia. If you like Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc, you will love Manium! It has delicate and alluring perfume but it really delivers substance, style & structure for the price. An any day, everyday red that will work well with grilled steaks, portabellos & BBQ this Spring & Summer. Steeply terraced Bierzo is the latest DO in Spain to be enjoying renewed interest, investment and winemaking innovation. Recent improvements in producing Mencia have brought another spotlight to Spain's wine scene and wine lovers are appreciating the unique character that Mencia offers. The Manium has a crimson robe. 50-100 year old vines producing grapes with fine concentration. Aged in French oak for 12-14 months. Fresh & spicy, a dark core of blackberry & cassis is wound around bright red lively berry flavors, cranberry & strawberry with a touch of white pepper. medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Small production, approximately 2500 cases produced.

2004  

2007  Reserva, "La Navilla"

100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), vines over 60 years old. Aged 20 months in French oak barrels, minimum of 10 months in bottle. The vineyards are located in Pedrosa de Duero in the D.O. Ribera del Duero, a town with a winemaking tradition that spans over a hundred years. 844 m. over sea level, leads to a very special microclimate. The big differences between the day and night temperatures are fundamental to obtain fresh and well balanced wines. 14% alcohol.

2011  Tinto

Tinto -- Mencia, Bastardo, Grenache & Mouraton. On the lighter side, very elegant, the weight of a new world pinot noir but with the depth & flavor profile of a Ribeira Sacra.

2016  Bierzo Tinto

Bierzo Tinto -- "I loved the 2016 Ultreia El Rapolao, which opened in a very spectacular way with time in the glass. It has notes of wild berries flowers and herbs intermixed with some earthy notes. The palate is intense but terrifically balanced, with very fine tannins but keeping a touch of rustic elegance that gives it character. This comes from one of the oldest plots in Rapolao, one of the cooler vineyards in Valtuille. It has unusual depth and intensity, and a rare combination of power and elegance. 1,200 bottles." - 96pts WA

2011  Torroja Vi de Vila

50% Carinena, 50% Garnacha. Terroir al Limit is a partnership between super-star South African winemaker Eben Sadie and former chef Dominik Huber. Their go-to reference wine/estate is Domaine de la Romanee Conti and it’s apparent that their range of wines is modeled after the Burgundy tradition of village wines, 1er cru site wines, and Grand Cru single vineyard wines. Terroir al Limit is a true garage wine project focusing on old vines of garnatxa and carinena located primarily around the historic village of Torroja. The philosophy of the estate is to capture the character of the terroir by minimizing the effect of winemaking to minimal processing and natural handling of the grapes, enabling the individual sites to express themselves fully. The vines are farmed biodynamically although they are not certified.

2016  Godello Valdeorras

Godello Valdeorras -- This wine is comprised of 11 historic 'Pezas" or blocks in the village of Portela. All the vines were planted by Jose Ramon Gayoso's sons in the early 1900's using a massal selection from the original Godello vineyard Pedrouzos.

2018