Bierzo

Moving away from the Spanish heartlands, up towards Galicia in the country’s northwest, Bierzo is one of few wine regions in the world that actually sits at the convergence of two different macro-climates: the maritime and the continental. Administratively in Castilla y Leon but pressed up against the eastern border of the more Atlantic Galicia, Bierzo is, in reality, a sibling of Galicia and many of the people identify as such. The mountains and countryside in Bierzo, as in Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro, Valdeorras and Rias Baixas for example, are verdant and dramatic – a far cry from the plains of Leon or the intensely hot villages that flank the Douro, but with sufficient, steady summer warmth and day-night swings to ensure ripe flavours are met with jostling acidities. Although near-enough uninhabited, the village of Valtuille del Abajo is the centre when it comes to wine, and here the soils are primarily clay and sand atop hard underlying bedrock. Co-fermentation with indigenous red and white varieties is commonplace and this brings complexity and freshness, despite appellation laws insisting that no red grape other than Mencia may be listed on the label. The overall composition of the vineyards is roughly two thirds Mencia, co-planted with Bastardo (Trousseau), Garnacha Tintorera, Godello, Dona Blanca, Palomino and Malvasia, amongst others. 75% of production is red, whilst whites are usually based on Godello. Currently, a mere 25% of the total production is exported, although increasing investment from more established producers and widening international attention may see that figure grow. Raul Perez is the emblematic producer of Bierzo wine and his restlessness and ability to consistently push the boundaries and turn out new and exciting wines has seen him rise to iconic status. To many, Raul Perez is simply one of the world’s greatest winemakers.