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.

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  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  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.

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.

2004  

2020  Bierzo

"I was blown away by the 2020 wines in barrel in June 2021 and found the 2020 Villa de Corullón very ready, open, expressive, floral and ethereal. It destroyed the idea I had of a warm and ripe 2020. Ricardo Pérez Palacios told me he was thinking of bottling the 2020s earlier, as they didn't need a long élevage, just nine or 10 months in barrel. The wine is pale, the palest Corullón ever, with 13.7% alcohol—perhaps the vines got blocked and didn't develop more color compounds or sugar. The wine makes me think of a red from Jura; it has a different profile and is more delicate, ethereal and full of light and energy. Pérez, who hates comparisons with other regions, couldn't stop saying that it felt like a Morey Saint Denis! It's all flowers and red fruit, with lot of super fine tannins (the 2019 tannins are rougher) that are round and give it a velvety texture with no rusticity—elegant and balanced. There is a nice balance between tannin and acidity, something this has in common with the 2019, which makes the vintages quite unusual, because being warm, the wines show balance. Today it feels more like Moncerbal than the Moncerbal bottling; nevertheless, Corullón is around 40% from Moncerbal... It has to be my favorite Corullón to date. 22,183 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in October 2021." - 97pts WA

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.

2005  Crianza Blanco

100% Viura. One of the most celebrated white Riojas produced. Liquid gold aged 4 years in barrel. 12.5% abv. Dry, Perfect with all kind of fish, no matter the way cooked. Grilled seafood. Well seasoned white meat. Also very nice with pasta. Rich, complex & developed aromas & flavors - nuts & stone fruits, herbs. Lopez de Heredia crafts this quintessential style of aged white wine, a nice move from aged Chardonnay or Bordeaux Blanc.

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

2000  Reserva

1998  Gran Reserva

"The 1998 Gran Reserva 904 is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano aged in American cask for four years. It has a very fine nose with notes of dried honey, cloves, raisin and wild heather that blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a touch of orange peel on the entry. It has an effortless sense of harmony and poise, with a crisp tense finish and suffused with a sorbet-like freshness. It just dances across the palate, a memorable Rioja with style and panache. Drink now-2030." - 95pts WA