PEREZ RAUL

Raùl Perez produces wines in many Spanish wine regions (Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra, Rias Baixas) and even in South Africa! But his "home" is in Valtuille de Abajo, his native village in the Bierzo region, where his family has been cultivating vines for centuries. Of course, the reputation of his wines extends far beyond Spain's borders! Raùl Perez is considered one of the most visionary winemakers in the world! Indeed, at the age of 22, in 1994, he produced his first vintage for his family's Castro Ventosa estate, bringing him to the forefront of the avant-garde winemaking scene.

Raùl makes his wines and works his vineyards as naturally as possible: in the winery, no filtering, no wine stabilization and the use of local yeasts. In the vineyards, very few or no treatments are used, and he even has a few abandoned plots to experiment with the resulting wines. Raùl plays with all kinds of grape varieties: hundred-year-old Mencia vines, Grenache from the Sierras de Gredos, Godello de Bierzo and many others. The winemaker is also known for his incredible sensitivity in understanding each terroir he works with and the ecosystem in which the vines grow. His wines are simply authentic and true to their terroir!

Location of the estate

The estate and winery are located in the north-western part of Spain, in the Bierzo region, but Raùl Perez also produces wines from other appellations such as Rías Baixas, Monterrei, León and Ribeira Sacra. The Villegas vineyard (Valtuille de abajo, Bierzo, Spain) is Raùl Perez's most popular. The 2-hectare vineyard faces south. The 130-year-old vines are planted on sandy soil (in contrast to the region's clay soils) at an altitude of around 600m. Most of the vineyard is planted with Mencía, with a minority of Bastardo and Alicante Bouschet.

Estate wines

Raùl Perez's wines reflect the characteristics of the vineyards from which they originate and, as he likes to say, convey the " simple complexity " of their vineyard of origin. He takes great care of his vines, practicing low-intervention vinification to preserve their geographical identity. One of Raùl Perez's best-loved and best-known wine collections is Ultreia. This word is an expression of encouragement used by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Among this collection, the Cuvée Saint Jacques expresses notes of wild strawberries, violets and spices (due to aging in oak barrels). Cuvée Gundiñas, a blend of Mencía, Bastardo, Alicante Bouschet and Siria, offers notes of fresh, juicy fruit with supple tannins and an acidity that allows it to be forgotten in the cellar for a few years.