2023 Raul Pérez Ultreia Godello

Raúl Pérez is currently without a doubt the most media-rich winemaker in all of Spain. However, his wines are almost impossible to find! Everyone talks about them, but few have 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 from indigenous grape varieties and the creation of authentic wines with plenty of character and personality. Or, to put it in his own words: "I'd rather make an undrinkably bad Galician wine, but at least let it be a Galician wine." He has vinified dozens of wines in countless different regions (mostly in northwestern Spain, but also beyond), but they have never been released. He tests, he tries, and very often fails. This way of working naturally gives him a great deal of experience, which later enables him to get the most out of one grape variety or one region.

Today, he makes or helps make over 80 wines. He's also recently settled down, establishing 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 he makes his own Ultreias, the very essence of Mencía, in the village of Salas de los Barrios. Raúl always works organically and as purely as possible. He uses the minimum amount of SO2.

Godello is experiencing a huge surge beyond Spain's borders, and this has taken far too long. International demand for Chardonnay (often of questionable quality) certainly meant that a few years ago, Godellos were only known to wine connoisseurs, but this has completely changed with the incredibly beautiful, high-quality wines produced by houses like Emilio Moro and Valdesil. Raúl Pérez launched this "entry-level" white Ultreia Godello in 2017 with just a handful of bottles, but now, a few years later, it is one of the top wines. The grapes come from vineyards in the Bierzo region (Ponferrada and also vineyards in Cacabelos and Valtuille) and come from a mix of soils, slate, and clay. This sets the tone for the white wines: they have perfect ripeness, freshness, and harmony, and are exceptionally clean, precise, and clear. It's a subtle variety and was fermented in used barriques and oak foudres of various sizes. They never rack or bâtonnage, and they never use sulfur until bottling. It's fuller and more voluminous, which is offset by higher acidity. The aging lasts until the next harvest, when they need the oak containers, in an effort to keep them empty for as short a time as possible.

Our regular customers know we're big fans of the wines from this region, made from Mencia (or the white Godello), such as those from Perez, Emilio Moro (Zarzal, Revelia), and Val de Sil . The continental influences and style give the wines a Burgundian signature and offer incredible value!