2023 Raúl Pérez Ultreia Rapolao

Raúl Pérez is currently, without a doubt, the most media-savvy winemaker in all of Spain. However, his wines are almost impossible to find! Everyone talks about them, yet few have actually tasted them. Raúl is present in countless appellations and regions, not only in Spain, but also in South Africa, Portugal, and South America. The common thread in his work is the recovery of old vines of indigenous grape varieties and the production of authentic wines with great character and personality. Or, to put it in his own words: 'I would rather make an undrinkably bad Galician wine, but at least let it be a Galician wine.' Consequently, he has already vinified dozens of wines in countless different regions (mostly in the northwest of Spain, but also beyond), yet none of them have ever been released to the market. He tests, he tries, and very often fails. Naturally, this way of working provides him with an enormous amount of experience, which later enables him to extract the absolute maximum from a single grape variety or a single region.

Today, he makes or helps produce more than 80 wines. Eventually, he has also more or less settled down by cultivating two of his own mini-bodegas: one in the Tierra de León region, in the village of Valdevimbre, and another in his native Bierzo, where, in the village of Salas de los Barrios, he makes his own Ultreias—the absolute essence of Mencía. Raúl always works as purely as possible. He uses the minimum amount of SO2.

In all the wines Raúl produces, he works with as little intervention as possible. For the reds, whole bunches are used and vinified in old barrels. Nothing is added nor corrected. The wine then undergoes élevage, again in old barrels and, moreover, under flor (meaning the barrels are not topped up). This flor provides the wine with natural protection against oxidation during élevage and avoids the addition of sulfites. This flor is naturally present in the Ultreia cellars, and Raúl uses it for both his white and red wines!

The Raul Pérez Ultreia Rapolao was aged exclusively in a 1,000-liter oak foudre previously used for a white wine. The grapes come from a higher-lying section of the Rapolao vineyard, and we can taste this in this almost Burgundian style of Mencia. Small red and black fruit give the impression of a cooler climate, along with the typical green spiciness of Mencia. This fine Mencia from Perez is full of toasted and spicy notes. It has good ripeness and a moderate alcohol content (13%). Medium-bodied, elegant with a soft mouthfeel and oak flavors in the finish. 1,200 bottles of this Ultreia Rapaola were produced. Our regular customers know that we are big fans of the wines from this region made from Mencia (or the white Godello), such as the wines from Perez and, for example , Val de Sil . The continental influences and the style give the wines a Burgundian signature and result in wines with an incredible price-quality ratio!

FUN FACT: The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you come to pick up the wine, you will also receive a nice discount. We are located almost next to the main road with ample parking. Click here for the address.