2021 Raul Pérez Castro Ventosa Valtuille Cova de la Raposa
| Type of Wine | |
|---|---|
| Country | Spain |
| Region | |
| Appellation | |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13%) |
| Drink window | 2022 - 2032 |
In stock
6 items available
Description
Castro Ventosa is one of the oldest domains in Bierzo. This is the family estate of Spain's most famous oenologist Raul Pérez. Very nice range of pure wines, from a basic Joven to the top Valtuille. The Valtuille La Cova de la Raposa 2021 comes from the lieu-dit where the soil is rich in sand, and which they have been vinifying separately since 2003. This south-facing vineyard is the first to be harvested, as its orientation and the fact that the old vines produce only two to three bunches per vine ensure that they ripen early. They used 40% full bunches for the native fermentation with 40 days of maceration. It matured for 12 months in two 500 liter oak barrels. It has moderate alcohol (12.43%) and ripeness with nice balance, a tight mouthfeel and very fine tannins. This is a warm spot that behaved quite well in the cooler 2021 vintage. Only 1,200 bottles were filled.
ABOUT CASTRO VENTOSA BY RAUL PEREZ
The oldest document found about the purchase of a vineyard from Castro Ventosa dates from 1752. As with many viticulturists in Spain, sales were almost always made to the local cooperative. It was only in the early 1990s that the domain itself started making and bottling wines. The youngest generation in particular has played a major role in this. The entire Pérez family works on the domain, but it is without a doubt oenologist Raúl Pérez who put this domain on the map. It is the basis for the revaluation of the typical grape variety for this region: Mencía; not only for Castro Ventosa, but for the entire appellation. However, for a number of years now, in addition to the family domain, he has also entered into a partnership with like-minded people and he also makes his own wines in various appellations. Raúl is now one of Spain's most famous winemakers and his wines have acquired a true cult status. In the meantime, Castro Ventosa has also adapted the range to the new wine legislation and makes more distinctive wines. Their brand “Valtuille” (the village name) can now also be used by other wine growers to represent the origin of their wines.
Varieties
The grape variety in this region is Mencía. Castro Ventosa, together with Descendientes de J.Palacios, is primarily responsible for the revival of the use of this grape. In the 1990s, Tempranillo, Cabernet and the like were also planted here in abundance. However, it was these two domains that fully focused on Mencía and especially on making top wines with this variety. Mencía gives very nice results when working with low yields and harvesting at optimal ripeness. Harvested too early, this grape produces green wines (hence the link that was made for years with the Cabernet Franc); This link is now outdated - both grape varieties are not related, but if harvested too late or overripe, no acids are left. After all, Mencía naturally has little acidity. Balance and thorough work in the vineyard are therefore crucial.
Castro Ventosa owns approximately 60 hectares of Mencía, exclusively vines between 30 and 60 years old. Castro Ventosa is located in Valtuille de Abajo, a small village in the lower part of the Bierzo region, with mainly sandy and clay soils. Bierzo itself has a microclimate with milder temperatures than the surrounding regions (León, Galicia). This advantage is further enhanced on the plain. The name of the domain comes from the Roman settlement (Castro). This is a hill that overlooks the surrounding plain at the foot of the village. The bodega itself is carved into the side of this Roman hill and the majority of their vineyards are located on the flanks of the Castro. The wines are therefore named after this. Their top wine, the Valtuille, comes from 10 plots of very poor and sandy soils and a small portion of soils with a slate soil. The vineyards for the Castro de Valtuille have clay-sandy soils and partly stony soils. The vines for the Joven grow mainly on clay-loam soils. In the old vineyards approximately 4000 to 5000 vines are planted per hectare.
Specifications
| Packing information | Box |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | Red |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Castilla y Leon |
| Appellation | Bierzo |
| Winery | Raul Perez |
| Grape | Mencia |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Drinking as of | 2022 |
| Drinking till | 2032 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 95 |
| Tasting Profiles | Aards, Complex, Donker fruit, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rood fruit, Tannines, Vol |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard, Romantisch |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Luis Gutiérrez
Release Price:
$90
Drink Date:
2023 - 2032
The 2021 Valtuille La Cova de la Raposa comes from the lieu-dit that names the wine, where the soils are rich in sand, and which they have been vinifying separately since 2003. This south-facing vineyard is the first they harvest, as the orientation and the fact that the old vines only produce two to three clusters per vine make them ripen early. They used 40% full clusters for the native fermentation with 40 days of maceration. It matured in two 500-liter oak barrels for 12 months. It has moderate alcohol (12.43%) and ripeness with nice balance, a sleek mouthfeel and very fine tannins. This is a warm place that behaved quite well in the cooler 2021 vintage. The sandy soils are a little more compact, and this is tighter than the more-open 2020. 1,200 bottles were filled in March 2023.
The family project from Raúl Pérez is, like many in Bierzo, focuses on site-specific wines from village, lieu-dit or paraje and single vineyard. They are developing more of those for the future in their village of Valtuille, where they have 85 of their 86 hectares of vineyards; the other one is a Godello vineyard in the village of Cabañas Raras. Since 2021, the single-vineyard white is already labeled as Valtuille "El Val" (vino de paraje) with the idea to take it to the top of the hierarchy, as it is a single plot from one of the coldest areas of the town. They produce between 200,000 and 300,000 bottles, depending on the vintage.
After a very dry 2020, 2021 was a cooler year with more rain and even snow, and the whites have very good freshness and the reds elegant and with finesse. It could be the finest vintage of recent times, comparable to 2018.
Published: Aug 10, 2023
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Wijnhuis
Raúl Pérez is without a doubt the most mediatic winemaker in all of Spain today. However, his wines are almost impossible to find! Everyone talks about it, but few have already tasted them. Raúl is present in numerous appellations and regions, not only in Spain, but also in South Africa, Portugal, South America.
We have been following Raúl since 2000; at that time he was still working as an oenologist at the Castro Ventosa family estate in Valtuille de Abajo. He also worked as an oenologist-consultant for other domains in Bierzo. He refined the Mencia to unprecedented heights, also helped Ricardo and Alvaro Palacios start their top domain, while constantly tasting and trying other wines from around the world. Raúl is a restless nature and his curiosity and passion take him further and further.
Between 2005 and 2007 he left the family domain and left for a wine odyssey. In a few years he made a name for himself and became a real 'star' in the wine world. The common thread in his work is the recovery of vieilles vignes from 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'd rather make an undrinkably bad Galician wine, but at least let it be a Galician wine." He has therefore 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 often fails. Of course, this way of working brings him a lot of experience, with which he will later be able to get the most out of one grape variety or one region.
Today he makes or contributes to more than 80 wines. In the end, he more or less settled himself by renovating 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 is in the village of Salas de los Barrios. own Ultreia's, the absolute essence of Mencía. Raúl always works organically and as pure as possible. It uses the minimum of SO2. The wines we get from him are always in minimal quantities and we hardly ever know what we are going to get, from what year and how much ... That is Raúl in all.
Castro Ventosa is one of the oldest domains in Bierzo. This is the family estate of Spain's most famous oenologist Raul Pérez. Very nice range of pure wines, from a basic Joven to the top Valtuille. The Valtuille La Cova de la Raposa 2021 comes from the lieu-dit where the soil is rich in sand, and which they have been vinifying separately since 2003. This south-facing vineyard is the first to be harvested, as its orientation and the fact that the old vines produce only two to three bunches per vine ensure that they ripen early. They used 40% full bunches for the native fermentation with 40 days of maceration. It matured for 12 months in two 500 liter oak barrels. It has moderate alcohol (12.43%) and ripeness with nice balance, a tight mouthfeel and very fine tannins. This is a warm spot that behaved quite well in the cooler 2021 vintage. Only 1,200 bottles were filled.
ABOUT CASTRO VENTOSA BY RAUL PEREZ
The oldest document found about the purchase of a vineyard from Castro Ventosa dates from 1752. As with many viticulturists in Spain, sales were almost always made to the local cooperative. It was only in the early 1990s that the domain itself started making and bottling wines. The youngest generation in particular has played a major role in this. The entire Pérez family works on the domain, but it is without a doubt oenologist Raúl Pérez who put this domain on the map. It is the basis for the revaluation of the typical grape variety for this region: Mencía; not only for Castro Ventosa, but for the entire appellation. However, for a number of years now, in addition to the family domain, he has also entered into a partnership with like-minded people and he also makes his own wines in various appellations. Raúl is now one of Spain's most famous winemakers and his wines have acquired a true cult status. In the meantime, Castro Ventosa has also adapted the range to the new wine legislation and makes more distinctive wines. Their brand “Valtuille” (the village name) can now also be used by other wine growers to represent the origin of their wines.
Varieties
The grape variety in this region is Mencía. Castro Ventosa, together with Descendientes de J.Palacios, is primarily responsible for the revival of the use of this grape. In the 1990s, Tempranillo, Cabernet and the like were also planted here in abundance. However, it was these two domains that fully focused on Mencía and especially on making top wines with this variety. Mencía gives very nice results when working with low yields and harvesting at optimal ripeness. Harvested too early, this grape produces green wines (hence the link that was made for years with the Cabernet Franc); This link is now outdated - both grape varieties are not related, but if harvested too late or overripe, no acids are left. After all, Mencía naturally has little acidity. Balance and thorough work in the vineyard are therefore crucial.
Castro Ventosa owns approximately 60 hectares of Mencía, exclusively vines between 30 and 60 years old. Castro Ventosa is located in Valtuille de Abajo, a small village in the lower part of the Bierzo region, with mainly sandy and clay soils. Bierzo itself has a microclimate with milder temperatures than the surrounding regions (León, Galicia). This advantage is further enhanced on the plain. The name of the domain comes from the Roman settlement (Castro). This is a hill that overlooks the surrounding plain at the foot of the village. The bodega itself is carved into the side of this Roman hill and the majority of their vineyards are located on the flanks of the Castro. The wines are therefore named after this. Their top wine, the Valtuille, comes from 10 plots of very poor and sandy soils and a small portion of soils with a slate soil. The vineyards for the Castro de Valtuille have clay-sandy soils and partly stony soils. The vines for the Joven grow mainly on clay-loam soils. In the old vineyards approximately 4000 to 5000 vines are planted per hectare.
| Packing information | Box |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | Red |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Castilla y Leon |
| Appellation | Bierzo |
| Winery | Raul Perez |
| Grape | Mencia |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Drinking as of | 2022 |
| Drinking till | 2032 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 95 |
| Tasting Profiles | Aards, Complex, Donker fruit, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rood fruit, Tannines, Vol |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard, Romantisch |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Luis Gutiérrez
Release Price:
$90
Drink Date:
2023 - 2032
The 2021 Valtuille La Cova de la Raposa comes from the lieu-dit that names the wine, where the soils are rich in sand, and which they have been vinifying separately since 2003. This south-facing vineyard is the first they harvest, as the orientation and the fact that the old vines only produce two to three clusters per vine make them ripen early. They used 40% full clusters for the native fermentation with 40 days of maceration. It matured in two 500-liter oak barrels for 12 months. It has moderate alcohol (12.43%) and ripeness with nice balance, a sleek mouthfeel and very fine tannins. This is a warm place that behaved quite well in the cooler 2021 vintage. The sandy soils are a little more compact, and this is tighter than the more-open 2020. 1,200 bottles were filled in March 2023.
The family project from Raúl Pérez is, like many in Bierzo, focuses on site-specific wines from village, lieu-dit or paraje and single vineyard. They are developing more of those for the future in their village of Valtuille, where they have 85 of their 86 hectares of vineyards; the other one is a Godello vineyard in the village of Cabañas Raras. Since 2021, the single-vineyard white is already labeled as Valtuille "El Val" (vino de paraje) with the idea to take it to the top of the hierarchy, as it is a single plot from one of the coldest areas of the town. They produce between 200,000 and 300,000 bottles, depending on the vintage.
After a very dry 2020, 2021 was a cooler year with more rain and even snow, and the whites have very good freshness and the reds elegant and with finesse. It could be the finest vintage of recent times, comparable to 2018.
Published: Aug 10, 2023
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Raúl Pérez is without a doubt the most mediatic winemaker in all of Spain today. However, his wines are almost impossible to find! Everyone talks about it, but few have already tasted them. Raúl is present in numerous appellations and regions, not only in Spain, but also in South Africa, Portugal, South America.
We have been following Raúl since 2000; at that time he was still working as an oenologist at the Castro Ventosa family estate in Valtuille de Abajo. He also worked as an oenologist-consultant for other domains in Bierzo. He refined the Mencia to unprecedented heights, also helped Ricardo and Alvaro Palacios start their top domain, while constantly tasting and trying other wines from around the world. Raúl is a restless nature and his curiosity and passion take him further and further.
Between 2005 and 2007 he left the family domain and left for a wine odyssey. In a few years he made a name for himself and became a real 'star' in the wine world. The common thread in his work is the recovery of vieilles vignes from 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'd rather make an undrinkably bad Galician wine, but at least let it be a Galician wine." He has therefore 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 often fails. Of course, this way of working brings him a lot of experience, with which he will later be able to get the most out of one grape variety or one region.
Today he makes or contributes to more than 80 wines. In the end, he more or less settled himself by renovating 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 is in the village of Salas de los Barrios. own Ultreia's, the absolute essence of Mencía. Raúl always works organically and as pure as possible. It uses the minimum of SO2. The wines we get from him are always in minimal quantities and we hardly ever know what we are going to get, from what year and how much ... That is Raúl in all.