2023 Raul Pérez Lomas de Valtuille La del Vivo

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.

La Vizcaína is a project by Raul Pérez in which he categorizes wines by origin, based on sun exposure, terroir, etc. La Vizcaína is the name given by the people of Valtuille to Raul's father, an oenologist who died young. Raul is assisted in this project by his nephew and oenologist Cesar Márquez.

Godello is experiencing a huge surge beyond Spain's borders, and this has taken far too long. The 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 stunningly beautiful, high-quality wines produced by houses like Emilio Moro and Valdesil. Raúl Pérez creates this La Vizcaína La del Vivo by fermenting and aging it in 500-liter oak barrels and a single amphora containing the skins and lees, which are used together for the final blend. Aging takes place over 14-16 months. Biodynamic wines. No temperature control during fermentation. During vinification, gravity principles are applied, without pumping and with minimal intervention to ensure the wine reaches the bottle as pure, clean, and expressive as possible.

The Godello grapes for the Lomas de Valtuille La del Vivo (also known as La Vizcaína La del Vivo) come from a two-hectare vineyard, so the volume is very low. The Godello has salty and mineral notes, with some roughness in its youth, complex, and this wine will continue to develop complexity over the next 10 years. Deep in color. Not an everyday aroma. Suggestions of white fruit, grassy accents, nutty, roasted notes, as well as spiciness and minerals. Dry onset with reflections of the aromas. A captivating wine glass that requires some work. After some aeration, more primary fruit and tight minerality emerge. A true meal wine.

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 and Val de Sil . The continental influences and style give the wines a Burgundian signature and offer incredible value!