Raúl Pérez: "Ultreia" 2022 Releases

Few winemakers rival the sense of instinct and restlessness that pervades brand Raúl Pérez. His distinction amongst his winemaking peers and first-name fame in all corners of Spain – in a country not short on Raúls – is the well-earned result of two decades of pioneering vineyard work and masterful blending. He has put his home village of Valtuille de Abajo on the map, to the extent that the community unveiled “Calle Del Enologo Raúl Pérez” in recognition of his work in summer 2023. But if you catch him in a quiet moment, he’ll tell you that those achievements are eclipsed by his experience mentoring some of Bierzo and Galicia’s most talented young producers. Time spent with Raúl is time spent getting to grips with the region as a whole.

Justerini & Brooks is proud to offer Pérez’s signature Ultreia range. His first solo venture in 2004, Ultreia spotlights micro-parcels of the most significant vineyards in Bierzo and has evolved as a range to serve as his most consistently accomplished wines. Each is bottled in tiny volumes, and not every year, to form highly individual, complex expressions of both site and variety. It is an unmissable offer for anybody enticed by the best of contemporary Spanish wine.

Ultreia, La Claudina, Bierzo, Raúl Pérez, 2022

I find the 2022 Ultreia La Claudina to be a lot more subtle and elegant. It comes from a vintage when the vines delivered very healthy grapes and a larger crop. They had to wait to harvest the grapes because the higher yield meant the plants had problems to ripen all the fruit. The palate is elegant and fresh, with clean flavors and precision. 2,300 bottles produced. Drink 2024-2030. 95+ points, Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)

Ultreia, La Vitoriana, Bierzo, Raúl Pérez, 2022

My favorite of the 2022 reds, the 2022 Ultreia La Vitoriana was cropped from the north part of a vineyard, a place that struggles to ripen, but it did ripe thoroughly in the warm 2022 vintage. It fermented with 100% full clusters with a maceration of 35 to 40 days and matured in a 225- liter oak barrel and a 500-liter oak barrel. It's perfumed, showy and a little decadent, with notes of decayed violets that are intriguing and attractive. The palate is medium-bodied and reveals very fine, chalky tannins. 9,000 bottles produced. Drink 2024-2035. 96 points, Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)

Ultreia de Valtuille, Bierzo, Raúl Pérez, 2022

The 2022 Ultreia Valtuille comes from different plots in the lieu-dit of Villegas. The wine has contained alcohol but has a roundness and a ripe sensation on the nose. They are using 25% foudres for the élevage here, and that percentage will be increased in the future. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with abundant, slightly dusty tannins. Some 4,800 bottles produced. Drink 2024-2029. 95 points, Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)

Ultreia, El Rapolao, Bierzo, Raúl Pérez, 2022

The 2022 Ultreia Rapolao matured exclusively in foudre, as they have eliminated the barrels for the élevage. The dead plants in the vineyard were replaced with Pan y Carne (a local strain of Trousseau), and those plants have started producing grapes. They have also lowered the maceration time in this wine, and the lighter grape and the lighter vinification seem to have compensated for the additional concentration of the warm year. The foudres had been used for whites before, so the wood is still a little new and seems to have given the wine a faint creamy texture and nose. The nose is clean, and they have avoided the reduction that happened in some previous vintages. It's juicy and medium to full-bodied, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins. 1,600 bottles produced. Drink 2024-2030. 95 points, Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)

Use the link below to download the offer in full with information and tasting notes on all the individual crus.

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