Red

93 points Wine Advocate
The 2021 Tinto, produced with 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% white grapes, is serious and austere, produced with grapes from cooler parts of Rioja to achieve freshness and aging potential without having to resource to very long aging in barrel (this was in barrels and foudres of different ages and sizes for some 16 months). It opened up with time in the glass to a medium to full-bodied palate with very fine tannins and a clean, long and tasty, almost salty finish. It's a wine that transcends its price. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023.

95 points Wine Advocate
2020 was drier than average until the harvest, when it rained and diluted the grapes, and they had to wait to regain concentration. The result is that the 2020 Alion is a wine with better balance and freshness. They felt the skins were very ripe and they could extract more and use a little more American oak (4%) in the elevage. From 2019, they kept the press wine separate until June, and they keep separate quantities of press wines that are aged in different containers depending on the quality of the wine. They used a percentage of concrete and oak vats for the elevage, which gives the wine more verticality and freshness. It's a subtle and elegant Alion, not as dense as some other vintages, but with nice balance and very elegant tannins Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035

92 points Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of blackberry and white chocolate with a touch of cedar lead the way for flavors of pomegranate, raspberry, milk chocolate and a touch of spice. Polished tannins evaporate into a long and vivid finish.

91 points Wine Spectator
Vanilla, licorice, dried mint, incense and tar notes offer a fragrant overtone to flavors of black raspberry, blackberry, dried fig and iron. This medium- to full-bodied red is refreshed by lively acidity and structured by lightly chalky tannins. Drink now through 2031.

(40% Garnacha, 30% Samso, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah) Camins del Priorat is a delicious entry-level offering from the famed winemaker Alvaro Palacios. It offers full-bodied, rich, deeply concentrated flavors of crisp cherry and ripe berries, with exotic floral and spice accents and a beautiful, seamless texture. A wine that always over delivers for the price, and a great introduction to high-quality Priorat! - Distributor

93-95 points Wine Advocate
I tasted this still-unbottled regional red in January 2024. The 2022 Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes has grapes from 53 vineyards in seven villages, and in 2022, it was 60% Garnacha, 39% Cariñena and 1% white grapes, higher in Cariñena than in recent years in this extremely warm and dry year. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats with part of full clusters, had a 41-day maceration and should spend some 12 months in French barriques and larger barrels. It's fully ripe at 14.5% alcohol while keeping a pH of 3.55 and 5.05 grams of acidity (measured in tartaric acid per liter of wine), parameters of very good freshness. This is always a little earthier and with a beautiful touch of rusticity showing the character of Priorat. It's ripe without excess; all the 2022s show surprisingly fresh for such a warm and dry year. They expected to fill 113,000 bottles around March 2024.

The review is on the previous vintage.

94 points Wine Advocate
I also tasted the 2022 Anza where he added the grapes of one more plot in Laguardia. The wine has his house style of elegance, subtleness and nuance; it's clean and precise and does not show any heat or oak. It's seamless, bright and velvety. Delicious. 23,420 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2023.

Diego Magaña purchased another two plots to make one hectare in the zone of San Martín, planted with 80-year-old vines and in Villalba on stony soils, where the plants are 50 years of age. He's now thinking about organic certification, as he has not used any systemic treatments since 2020, and the vines are herbicide free. He's one of the more precise, new young producers in Rioja (and Bierzo), his wines are elegant and clean in the best modern style you can think of.

• Mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura and Malvasía Riojana
• 30 to 50+-year-old bushvines in pure limestone soils
• Fermented with indigenous yeast in open-top wood vats with whole bunches as vintage allows
• Raised for about a year in one 4,000L tina and 225L barrels, all used

93 points Wine Spectator
Blackberry paste, black plum skin and ripe black cherry flavors are brightened by tangy blood orange peel acidity in this minerally red. Sleek and well-structured, with sculpted tannins firming the well-spiced and floral finish. Drink now through 2033.

#79 on The Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2023!

91 points Wine Spectator
An elegant red, with fine tannins enmeshed with flavors of pureed raspberry and black plum reduction, soft fig, thyme and lavender accents, while a minerally underpinning echoes on the finish. Drink now through 2028.

92 points Wine Advocate
The bread-and-butter wine here is the 2021 Bela, produced with Tempranillo from the village of Villalba de Duero (mentioned on the label), from sandy and clay rich soils on limestone mother rock that delivers powerful but not overripe wines with a short-ish élevage to achieve a fine-boned and fresh wine. The grapes were picked between October 1st and 25th, mostly Tempranillo but some 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot too, and it matured in French oak barrels for nine months. it's ripe without excess, with very integrated oak and a velvety palate with silky tannins. It reminds me of the historical wines from the early 1990s, Valribeño and so on, with some rusticity but very honest and characterful. With time in the glass, it develops a precise note of licorice intermixed with berry fruit and some spices and herbs.

Organic / Biodynamic

94 points Vinous
The 2022 Garnacha Navaherreros hails from Gredos, a subzone of San Martín de Valdeiglesias. It delivers pure ripe guinda with gentle herbal notes, pomegranate, grenadine and a background of cinnamon. This light-bodied red is delicate and enticing with tannic grip and a touch of ripeness. Richness meets whole-bunch tannins to create a compact palate.

Natural / Sustainable

Capitán Xurelo is a red blend from many different vineyards. It's produced like of the all reds here, with full clusters that were foot-trodden and fermented with indigenous yeasts. It finished fermenting in barrel and remained there until the next harvest, when it was transferred to stainless steel where it matured for a further eight months. Here, they look for a more austere, perhaps rustic profile. This has tons of notes of acid berries and is light to medium-bodied, with a minty and balsamic touch.

A fruity red with aromas of cherries, raspberries, dried flowers, cinnamon and vanilla. Medium-bodied with soft tannins. Creamy, soft and round. Supple finish.

Winemaker Notes:
The grapes come from vineyards, 30-40 years old, with yields of 2T/Ha and located high on the hillsides, 700-900 metres above sea level. The vineyards are planted in mainly decomposed slate and gravely clay soils. The fermentation was carried out in small stainless steel tanks for 15 days at temperetures below 27ºC, and then spent a short period of two months in French oak barrels.
It exhibits greater aromatic complexity, richness with mineral and blueberry notes leading to a savory and spicy wine nicely balanced and very easy to drink.

Food Pairing:
Pair with rice, pasta (noodles, spaghetti, macaroni), white and blue fish, goat cheese, cold meat, vegetables, lentil soup, peas,
mushroom, beef, chicken, roast meat, red and white grill meat.

Tasting Notes:
Color of intense dark cherry with a violet edge. Intense nose, dominated by ripe red fruits, raspberry, currant, together with balsamic and mineral notes. Powerful in the mouth, full-bodied, pleasantly tannic and fruity with a light spice on the finish.

94 points The Wine Advocate
Black olives and a hint of black bean puree to the fresh black cherries, damsons and a hint of mint. Refined, medium-bodied palate with fine, fresh tannins that are present but not grainy. Really elegant and long. Drinkable now, but will develop well in the next six to seven years.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2018 Macan has moderate alcohol (14%) and more freshness (pH 3.69), reflecting a cooler and rainier year that forced them to fine-tune the sorting and selection of the grapes, which fermented with selected yeasts. The elevage was in barrel (55%) and larger foudres for 16 months. 2018 was quite different from 2019, as it was cooler and rainier. The wine is serious and harmonious, which was a challenge, and winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga told me that they had to be very careful and sort and select the grapes. It's textured and elegant, a style that follows the path of the 2016; it's elegant but with depth, managing the elevage in foudre better, which was a learning process they started in 2016. 74,570 bottles, 2557 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in September 2020.

Intense red cherry colour. Complex and elegant on the nose with aromas of plum and sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. Slight notes of almonds with the oak very well integrated. Good structure on the mouth with notes of mature fruit and chocolate. A lively wine with good tannic concentration. Long and persistent. Food Matching: Ideal with red meats, game and cheese

Organic / Biodynamic

91+ points Wine Advocate
The 2022 Lagrimas de Bhilar Graciano managed to keep the moderate alcohol and freshness in a warm year like 2022. It was produced with grapes from younger vineyards, fermented in concrete and matured in 8,000-liter oak vat. It's aromatic, herbal, spicy and minty, very showy, juicy and with a soft mouthfeel. Delicious and easy to drink. 10,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2023.

Organic / Biodynamic

92 points Wine Advocate
The red 2020 Phincas is a village wine from Elvillar produced with grapes from their older biodynamic vines. It's mostly Tempranillo with 10% Graciano and 5% Viura fermented with full clusters in concrete and matured in 225- and 500-liter barrels for 30 months and then blended together and put in an oak vat for a further six months. It's ripe at 14.5% alcohol, with notes of dry herbs and esparto grass, with a Mediterranean feeling to it. The palate is full-bodied, with dusty tannins and a dry finish. Better with food.

92 points Wine Spectator
Chalky in texture and firmed by fine-grained tannins, this fragrant red layers a zesty underpinning of cracked pink peppercorn and crushed stone with blackberry coulis, medicinal herb, cinnamon and floral notes. Well-meshed, with a lingering, aromatic finish. Drink now through 2035. 850 cases made, 92 cases imported.

Organic / Biodynamic

The oak is very integrated and neatly folded into the fruit. A nicely balanced wine which is very fruit driven with chalky fine-grained tannins. The palate is medium to full-bodied with notes of ripe berries and herbs with a spicy twist.

94 points Jeb Dunnuck
Raised all in 500- and 600-liter barrels (all used), the 2021 Breca has a Châteauneuf du Pape-like bouquet of black raspberries, licorice, peppery herbs, and spice. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, rich, voluptuous, concentrated Garnacha with fine tannins and a great finish.

Intense Tempranillo character is apparent in a concentrated, deeply colored red wine. Saturated red fruit grips the palate, leaving a long and sweet finish that promises excellent development in the bottle. Aged 15 months in barrique.

The four bodegas that comprise Alejandro Fernandez’s wine legacy, and constitute Grupo Pesquera, share a passion for winemaking that has perfected over time. The strong bond to this great winemaker’s homeland is also reflected in the group emblem: the symbolic Archway and Tower of Pesquera de Duero, the characteristic label on his mythical Tinto Pesquera wines. Numerous awards endorse our wines; awards reaped throughout our 40 years of experience in winemaking. It is, without doubt, a dream come true for Alejandro Fernandez whose maxim was always to own a bodega and make fine wines. Today it could be said that reality has surpassed the dream and that Alejandro, his bodegas, and his wines have earned worldwide recognition and appreciation.

Brilliant ripe black cherry red colour with good depth. Fruity aromas with elegant notes of fine wood. Velvety in the mouth with a long finish.

Organic

100% Garnacha from Navarra, planted between 1890 - 1960. Grapes are lightly crushed and cold macerated before primary fermentation. The wine is transferred to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. Aged for 7 months in second-use French oak barrels.

These reviews are on the previous vintage (2021).

95 points Tim Atkin
Vivid garnet color. Juicy and spicy on the palate with red fruit and black and white pepper flavors. Accents of coffee and minerality. Elegant, fine, and delicate, but supported by firm tannins.

92 points James Suckling
Lifted, peppery nose with red fruit. Strawberries, red cherries and plenty of white pepper and peppercorn funk. Juicy and pretty intense on the medium-bodied palate with tight, dusty tannins and a long, tangy finish. Quite elegant and spicy, although it can be mono-dimensional for some. Drink now.

Organic / Biodynamic

This review is on the previous vintage.

93+ points Wine Advocate
The 2023 Clos Lojen is even more of a bargain than in previous years, as the price is the same and the quality is even higher!! It started being produced with 40-year-old vines, but those are by now 60 years old (I saw some of them, and they were REALLY impressive!); so, there's more depth and complexity; the vines are wiser (they've been tended nicely...) and manage to keep the freshness and approachability. They started harvesting the last week of August, and the result was 12.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 5.4 grams of acidity. The full clusters fermented in 4,500-liter oak vats and matured in foudres of different sizes—4,500, 10,000 and 15,000 liters—and lasted six months. The wine is fruit-driven, juicy, complex and spicy, balanced and tasty, textured and with a chalky feeling. This is way beyond what the price might suggest. 52,000 bottles produced in 2023. It was bottled between April and June 2024.

Organic / Biodynamic

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2023 La Casilla fermented with full clusters and indigenous yeasts in 4,500-liter oak vats and matured in those vats and some 600-liter barrels for nine months. It has incredible freshness, 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.5 grams of acidity. It's complex and serious, a lot more complex than Clos Lojen, despite the small price difference, and it has notes of berries, herbs and flowers, plenty of aromatic Mediterranean herbs and very good freshness and acidity, fine tannins and very good overall balance, ideal with food. It's serious but easy to drink. It's more Rhone than Burgundy. It was bottled in June 2024 and 15,000 bottles were produced. I tasted a bottle of the 2005, their first vintage, and the wine was fully mature, even if the style was different (it has 14.5% alcohol), more extractive and with more oak.

Organic / Biodynamic

96+ points Wine Advocate
For Juan Antonio Ponce, the 2022 La Estrecha is the vintage that better showcases the finesse of Bobal that they have been looking for, which he describes as fine, ethereal, fresh, elegant and intense. The plot has vines over 75 years old, with 90% Bobal and other mixed varieties on granite soils. It fermented with 100% full clusters in a 4,500-liter barrel and matured in a 5,000-liter oak foudre (instead of in 600-liter barrels like in the past) for 10 months. The wines are not fined, filtered or cold stabilized. This has only 12.5% alcohol, which is possible in the Mediterranean. This is very pale, delicate and ethereal, the change in the élevage from barrels to larger foudre seems to have had a big impact in the wine that feels more relaxed. 4,800 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023.

This red has focus and depth, in an austere style that remains balanced and fresh. Black cherry fruit lurks beneath espresso, licorice and black pepper flavors, supported by firm, well-integrated tannins and juicy acidity.

Winemaker Notes:
"Cherry colour with garnet rim, bright and intense. Red fruit expression, powerful, elegant, dry stone, coca bean, creamy oak, hints of spices. Powerful, flavourful, fruity, good acidity, smoky aftertaste, toasty, long finish."

In 1927, a group of 15 vine-growers banded together to create the Cooperativa Ribera del Duero (which translates as "Bank of the Duero River"). They were the first to make a wine called "Ribera del Duero", and as regional pioneers, eventually gave their name to the DO when it was created in 1982. Generations later, this cooperative is producing some of the most highly acclaimed wines in Spain under the name "Protos", meaning "First" in Greek.

In 2008, Protos reached another milestone with the completion of its state-of-the-art winery by renowned British architect Richard Rogers. A modern architectural gem, the winery is built into the mountain just beneath Penafiel Castle, at once complementing and contrasting the ancient landmark.

LOCATION OF VINEYARD
Protos has two wineries in the heart of the Ribera del Duero: Penafiel (near Valladolid) and Anguix (near Burgos). Their third winery, La Seca, is where they make Verdejo in the neighboring Rueda DO near Valladolid. Protos owns 100 hectares of vineyards around its wineries and has partnerships with several local growers who supply additional grapes.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY
Protos has the unique distinction of offering wines from two DOs, producing fresh, aromatic Verdejos from Rueda in addition to varietal Tempranillos from Ribera del Duero. Harvesting is entirely manual, and production is gathered in 20-kilogram boxes (just over 44 pounds) to aid in ensuring only completely healthy, whole grapes reach the fermentation tanks. Protos has also implemented an extensive R&D program to test the effects of different types of barrels on its wines.

In both DOs, Protos leverages its generations of winemaking experience, cutting-edge technology, and philosophy of "Quality above all" to produce exceptional wines.

Jose Serrano Carlos Guzman graduated from the L??Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique in Montpellier, France, with a degree in viticulture. Following graduation, he served as winemaker and technical director at several estates, including Bodega Cooperative de Morales de Toro (DO Toro), Bodegas Marques de Riscal (DO Rueda), and finally Bodegas Roqueta (DO Pla de Bages). He became Winemaker Director at Bodegas Protos in 1999.

90 pts Wine Spectator
A smooth texture masks good concentration in this juicy red, with a firm structure. Ripe cherry and plum flavors mingle with coffee and toasty notes, showing touches of herb and loamy earth.

92 points James Suckling
Quite an understated and traditional bottling of Rioja, showing red and black berries, hints of dried mushroom, peppercorns, dark earth and tobacco on the nose. Chewy and juicy on the medium-bodied palate, showing a fresh array of berries and plums. Drinkable now, but better from 2025.

The Eguren family of Teso la Monja are one of D.O. Toro's most important pioneers, having cofounded Bodega Numanthia-Termes with Jorge Ordóñez in 1997. Numanthia was the first exhaustive fine wine project to resuscitate Toro since before phylloxera. Toro is one of Spain's most historic winemaking regions. Tempranillo originated in the Duero Valley, and many ampelographers believe that it originated in Toro, where it is known as Tinta de Toro. These ancient clones of Tempranillo were responsible for Toro being celebrated as Spain's finest winemaking region during the Middle Ages. Toro was also Spain's only region to completely resist phylloxera due to its sandy soils. Teso la Monja is the Eguren family's new interpretation of Toro after Numanthia, where they sought to produce a more refined and restrained expression of Toro by focusing on northern facing vineyard sites planted on clay soils covered in canto rodado.

Rigorous sorting at the winery. The clusters are fully destemmed, and the whole berries ferment (inoculated with yeast cultured from their vineyards and cellar) in 15,000L stainless steel tanks with temperature control. Malolactic fermentation in tank and in neutral French barrique.

6-8 months in neutral French barrique

Organic

96 points Vinous
The 2021 Vatan Tinta de Toro opens with aromas of violets, lavender, fresh plum and raspberry, framed by subtle oak and a touch of cedar. Intense and creamy, the palate is broad and flavorful, with velvety, finely textured tannins. The finish is long, delivering depth and nuance. This is a balanced and elegant Tempranillo with a measured profile. Tannins show gentle grip, bringing tension that complements the wines volume and richness. A superb vintage that lends this wine exceptional depth.

93 points James Suckling
Fine spices, blackberries, cocoa powder and graphite. This is juicy and flavorful on the palate, with a full body and a heap of dusty tannins. Tight, structured and pretty long.

92 points Vinous
The 2022 Tritn originates from Toro and has been barrel-aged for up to eight months. Garnet in color. The ripe fruit aromas include blackberry and sour cherry above a backdrop of wild herbs. Rich and indulgent, the firm yet polished tannins and balanced acidity contribute to a long-lasting and overwhelmingly satisfying palate. This is truly a Toro red.

93 points James Suckling
Aromas of plums, mulberries, dried flowers, stones and violets. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Textured and creamy. Balanced and subtle. Flavorful finish with excellent length.

The Merayo family have been growing grapes for generations in Bierzo and one look at Pedro’s immaculate vineyards suggests he knows what he’s doing. The bulk of Pedro’s 25 hectares of ancient vines were inherited from his father but Bodegas Merayo and the new winery (housed in a converted apple store) were established as recently as 2010.

"Ruby red colour with a golden rim. Bright and deep. Complex aromas. There is a great balance between the fruit (cherries, black plums, ripe blackberries) and the clean nuances of the wood (clove, pepper, vanilla and coconut). The nose is further enriched by the aromas that develop during bottle ageing. Smooth and balanced on the palate with a full, elegant feel and a long, lingering finish." Winemaker notes

Aged for 18 months in American and French-oak casks (50%). Rounded off for 18 months in the bottle cellar.

Cherry, leafy and vanilla notes mingle in this juicy red. Light tannins and lively acidity impart a gentle balance. Not muscular but harmonious. Drink now through 2023. 50,000 cases imported.

Organic

Capitan Fanegas is the personal project of Mario Ruiz-Clavijo from the historic Bodegas Marques de Arviza in Rioja. The philosophy behind the Capitan Fanegas wines is to make single vineyard expressions of Rioja that reflect and express the sites they come from. The wines are vinos de author; unique representations that are true to the Rioja style.

For 6 months the wine is aged over fine lees. After it was racked to remove the sediments and lees. Then the wine was aged for an extra 12 months without any racking and no sulphur added until bottling giving a total aging in concrete of 18 months. The philosophy is to age the wine with a a hands off approach to avoid oxidation, because Graciano is an easy oxidative variety. Aging in concrete tank gives the wine and extra refinement. Porosity provides a very interesting evolution to the wine like the micro oxygenation in the barrel, but without added flavor or added aromatic impact. With this process, the evolution and maturity of the fruit of the wine is enhanced and helps to maintain the purity of the Graciano character.

It?????s aromas of red and black fruits, floral and some spicy notes, are typical of the Graciano variety. Also, some hints of leather, tabaco, iron, licorice and other tertiary notes given naturally by the variety. The palate is fleshy, powerful, tasty, and spicy with a long and very elegant finish. The tannins on this wine are big but elegant. Due the hands off process we use during aging, we highly recommend decanting the wine prior tasting.

Organic

Capitan Fanegas is the personal project of Mario Ruiz-Clavijo from the historic Bodegas Marques de Arviza in Rioja. The philosophy behind the Capitan Fanegas wines is to make single vineyard expressions of Rioja that reflect and express the sites they come from. The wines are vinos de author; unique representations that are true to the Rioja style.

La Unión comes from a single parcel in the La Unión village in Rioja that feautres a mixture of red and white clay with sandy soils. All grapes are hand-harvested from vines that average 25 years of age. A blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano that is fermented with native yeasts in concrete tanks and aged for 12 months in barrel. Expressive aromas of blackberry, red currants and violets with a fine, silky palate and long, polished finish, enjoy this striking Rioja with grilled lamb chops.

Bouquet has notes of cherry with hints of violet. Red fruits, with a gentle spicy note. Balanced, velvety palate leads to a soft tannic finish. A great change of pace from California Cabernet Sauvignons.

Organic

Full body, red plum and red currant aromas. This Garnacha-led blend shows beautiful flavors of baked plum followed by a fresh, lively finish

45% Garnacha, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Syrah and 5% Sams³, is fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel, then aged for 8 months in French oak.

Cesca Vicent is a unique property located in the heart of Priorat, in the town of Gratallops. It is owned and ran by Francesca Vicent (better known as Cesca), a fifth-generation producer. Her family has been farming grapes in this area since the 16th century, she has a little 'street cred' in the area!

After inheriting this plot of land, she began researching her soil diversity. Once she was equipped with a detailed soil map of her 13.2 hectares illustrating Licorella and its 10 other different soils types, Cesca became determined to make wines that show the incredible diversity of her vineyard. She has been practicing organic since 1999 and became certified in 2011, striving to make a wine as natural as possible and dedicated to the production of terroir-driven wines.

95 points Wine Advocate
The white Godello 2023 La Salvacion was produced with grapes from a one-hectare centenary plot in Arganza, the northernmost and cooler village in Bierzo, a plot on clay and slate that was regrafted from Mencia some 20 years ago. The destemmed grapes were pressed in a pneumatic press, and the juice fermented in 500-liter oak barrels after setting for 24 hours. It matured in those barrels for one year, with the lees but without batonnage. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.07 and 7.25 grams of acidity, meaning good ripeness and very good freshness and acidity. It's vibrant and very tasty, piercing and pungent, with a nice compromise between power and elegance. It's more direct, sharp and tasty but with restraint; it takes time to open up in the glass. 6,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025.

Cesar Marquez Perez, Raul Perez's nephew, is one of the most precise winemakers in Bierzo with the family Castro Ventosa range and his personal project, which he started in 2015. In the 2023 vintage, he is releasing a new wine from the Villegas area, a lieu-dit in Valtuille on sandy soils. The single-vineyard wines are aging in increasingly larger oak containers, combining 1,200-liter vats with 500- and 600-liter barrels. He owns 7.2 hectares and works a further seven with local growers across Bierzo, from altitudes ranging between 450 to 850 meters above sea level. His production is slowly growing, and he now crafts 60,000 bottles per year.

As he told me while tasting the wines from the family winery, Castro Ventosa, which he also vinifies, "2023 was a cooler vintage with rain at the beginning of the harvest. The wines have a floral, serious and elegant profile with a contained alcohol content of 12.5% to 13%." These are some of the finest and more elegant wines he has produced so far.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2023 Parajes is his regional red, a blend of different places, soils, expositions and altitudes (between 450 and 780 meters above sea level). It's a real representation of El Bierzo, with grapes from 45 different plots in nine villages. The vines range in age from 80 to 142 years of old and are planted with field blends - approximately 85% Mencia, 10% Alicante Bouschet and 5% other white and red varieties like Bastardo, Souson and Estaladina. There are always some full clusters, depending on vintage and plot, and part of the wine ferments in stainless steel and part of it is in bins, as he ferments by plot. The wine matured in 225-, 400- and 500-liter oak barrels for one year. It has moderate ripeness and 13.08% alcohol, a pH of 3.58 and 5.34 grams of acidity, making it lower in alcohol than the 2022 and with more freshness. It's serious and balanced, elegant and fine-boned. It gets very close to the village red this year. This is a bargain. 34,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025.

Cesar Marquez Perez, Raul Perez's nephew, is one of the most precise winemakers in Bierzo with the family Castro Ventosa range and his personal project, which he started in 2015. In the 2023 vintage, he is releasing a new wine from the Villegas area, a lieu-dit in Valtuille on sandy soils. The single-vineyard wines are aging in increasingly larger oak containers, combining 1,200-liter vats with 500- and 600-liter barrels. He owns 7.2 hectares and works a further seven with local growers across Bierzo, from altitudes ranging between 450 to 850 meters above sea level. His production is slowly growing, and he now crafts 60,000 bottles per year.

As he told me while tasting the wines from the family winery, Castro Ventosa, which he also vinifies, "2023 was a cooler vintage with rain at the beginning of the harvest. The wines have a floral, serious and elegant profile with a contained alcohol content of 12.5% to 13%." These are some of the finest and more elegant wines he has produced so far.