2021
12x75cl
DP
£262.86
vintage
portfolio
2021
12x75cl
DP
£262.86
As new vineyards come in to production the main white of the project is now produced from majority estate fruit, mostly from the eastern part of the Bierzo zone, on schist and clay soils, from vines averaging 30-35 years old. Harvest here takes place a full 20 days later than in Valtuille, yielding grapes with high natural acidity and only 11-12% potential alcohol, excellent blending material. 25% is sourced from Cacabelos on deeper clay-stony soils, and the final 25% from Valtuille where the vineyards are sandier. All plots are fermented in oak tank and assembled just before bottling. Aging takes place in barrels of various sizes and ages. The 2021 has a more restrained, lime-leaf and wispy cool citrus and stony feel with touches of hay and fine earth. It drinks straight out of the gate and improves in the glass.
Raúl Pérez is widely regarded as one of the world’s most talented, innovative, and restless winemakers. His constant reinvention of his own portfolio and quest to restore old Bierzo vineyards since breaking away from his family estate Castro Ventosa in 2004, not to mention an extensive roster of consultancy projects around the world, has helped significantly in putting this corner of north-western Spain back on the map. In doing so, Pérez has inspired legions of young winemakers to follow in his footsteps, and yet he remains humble and softly-spoken. As many commentators have noted, there is no “Raúl Pérez” style, instead his beautiful Godellos and Mencia-based reds seek only to express their origins and push the boundaries of quality within the region, with Pérez adapting the winemaking to suit each individual parcel of vines. The only constant is a hands-off philosophy that allows natural fermentations to take place in traditional wooden vats with whole bunches in the case of the reds, and aging in neutral casks of varying sizes. The two regional wines Ultreia Godello and Ultreia Saint Jacques are some of the most exciting entry-level wines we have ever come across, while the mid-level La Vizcaina de Vinos range spotlights five single vineyards in the village of Valtuille de Abajo, the heart of the Bierzo region. The small batch Ultreia bottlings are rare birds indeed, often representing no more than a barrel or two from tiny, special plots, and as such are not necessarily produced every year. Put together, the Raúl Pérez stable is a big and at times complicated range, but one thing is for sure; the wines will never disappoint.
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