2014  Ribera Sacra

Organic/biodynamic Brancellao from RIbera Sacra in Galicia. " It's a light and pale-colored, subtle and aromatic red, with an ethereal palate where the fine-grained tannins are nicely balanced by refreshing acidity. This showcases the potential and elegance of Brancellao, a grape that was ignored for a very long time that still has quite a lot to say. With time it develops a slightly animal character that I've seen in other wines, and it's quite subtle and does not dominate; I wonder if it's inherent to the variety. I need a lot more experience with Brancellao, because it's a grape that is really starting... 3,800 bottles produced." - 93pts WA

2014  Ribera Sacra

Organic/Biodynamic Merenzao (Trousseau) from Ribera Sacra in Galicia. 167 cases produced.

2013  

"The 2013 Gratallops, their village wine, is a blend of 85% Garnacha and the rest Cariñena. The grapes were destemmed, lightly pressed and fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine went through malo and 16 months aging in oak barrels. It might be suffering a bit of bottle shock. In this vintage, the Garnacha was so rich that the percentage of Cariñena is lower to maintain the fluidity of the wine. In this vintage I give the edge to Terrasses. 600 cases produced." - 92+pts WA

2014  Sobre Lias

Grape: Godello -- Origin: Galicia, Spain -- Appellation: Valdeorras -- Alcohol by volume: 13.5% -- Features: Organic, Biodynamic -- About the product: This is the wine of the family. A complex wine made form the oldest Godello vines in the world put together to showcase the best that Valdeorras, Godello and Valdesil can make.

2006  Ribera del Duero Reserva

100% Tempranillo. They say the nose knows and here is proof... The big brother Cathar has an inviting, expressive nose of ripe berry, coffee & smoke that promises & delivers a big & full-bodied, chewy, classy Ribera with dense boysenberry fruit & a silky mouthfeel. Room to grow, best to decant for an hour.

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