El Rapolao, La Vizcaina de Vinos, Bierzo, 2021

Name: El Rapolao, La Vizcaina de Vinos, Bierzo
Brand: Raúl Pérez
Price: 160.73 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

justerini & brooks tasting note

A mark of Raul’s influence, El Rapolao is now the most labelled single vineyard wine in Bierzo (admittedly, three are his). Typically, El Rapolao is celebrated for its ripe complexity of fruit and depth, always allied to freshness. The La Vizcaina bottling coming from two plots on red soils; one mid-slope and one in the lower part, together averaging 550m of elevation. The older parcel in the mid-slope was planted in the 1920s on hard clay and stony soils and the younger, lower plot in the 1980s on clay with more organic material. Whole bunch fermented in wood and kept on the skins for 30-45 days before 12 months ageing in foudré and neutral 500L barrels.

critic reviews

95/100Luis Gutierrez,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

They now own 100% of the grapes used for the El Rapolao and the 2021 La Vizcaina El Rapolao, from the youngest vines in the paraje. There is a change from the previous year, as this time they used a 1,500-liter oak foudre to age part of the wine. It's a very clean year, with some notes of toasty sesame seeds, produced with a short maceration and moderate extraction. They put the wine in barrel after 45 days of maceration, and they feel they have been able to keep more freshness in the wine. It did show very well, with an iron touch and some slightly dusty tannins. It does have a rustic and earthy touch.

DRINKING WINDOW 2024 - 2030

date of review 08/2023