2021 Castro Ventosa Valtuille Cepas Centenarias

Take the fruity drive of Pinot Noir and the invigorating nature of Syrah and you have a good Mencía. The Mencia grapes have aged for 11 months in French oak (95% new) before being bottled. In addition, this beauty has also had a few months of bottle maturation. The 2021 Castro Ventosa Valtuille Cepas Centenarias from Raul Perez is a super complex and complete wine. Ink black with dashing aromas of continental character as well as black pepper, coffee and sweet cherry. Minuscule reductiveness and fine wood touch, very lightly roasted. Firm and elongated taste structure that needs time. Both opulent fruit behind which a lot of complexity lies as well as minerals that come to the fore especially after maturation. Long finish.

Raúl Pérez is without a doubt the most mediatized winemaker in all of Spain at the moment. 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, South America. The common thread in his work is the recovery of vieilles vignes of indigenous grape varieties and the making of authentic wines with a lot of character and personality. Or to put it in his own words: 'I prefer to make an undrinkably bad Galician wine, but at least let it be a Galician wine.' He has already vinified dozens of wines in countless different regions (mostly in the northwest of Spain, and also beyond), but which have never been marketed. He tests, he tries, and also fails very often. 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 more than 80 wines. Finally, he has also more or less settled down recently by growing two mini bodegas of his own: one in the Tierra de León region, in the village of Valdevimbre, and another in his native region of Bierzo, where he makes his own Ultreias, the absolute essence of Mencía, in the village of Salas de los Barrios. Raúl always works as purely as possible. He uses the minimum of SO2. He releases the wines from his family project under the name: Castro Ventosa

In all the wines that Raúl makes, he works with as little intervention as possible. For the reds, whole bunches are used and vinified in old barrels. Nothing is added or corrected. The wine is then aged, again in old barrels and also under flor (the barrels are not topped up). This flor gives the wine a natural protection against oxidation during the ageing and avoids the addition of sulphites. This flor is naturally present in the Ultreia cellars and Raúl uses it for both his white and red wines!

FACT: In the tab 'Attachments' you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will automatically send you this when you order this wine. The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you come to pick up the wine you will often also receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.

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• Grilled chicken thigh with rosemary, garlic and roasted peppers
  The spiciness of the chicken and pepper complements the spicy notes in the wine, while the juicy structure blends beautifully with the velvety tannins.

• Pasta with mushrooms, fried shallots and a dash of cream
  The earthy flavours of the mushrooms and the light creaminess match well with the mineral and floral complexity of the wine.

• Grilled tuna steak with black olives and tomato
  Tuna is firm enough to pair with a red wine. The salty and fresh accents enhance the fruity acidity of the wine.

• Roasted beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts and arugula
  The combination of sweet beetroot and spicy cheese supports the red fruit and fresh acidity in the wine, while the nuts accentuate the earthy undertone.

• Lamb burger with thyme, red onion and soft sheep's cheese
  Lamb complements the elegant structure of the wine, and the seasoning of the meat brings out the floral and spicy character.

• Lentil stew with tomato, carrot and cumin
  The firm, savoury structure of the lentils complements the texture of the wine, while the light spices emphasise the aromatic complexity.