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Raúl Pérez
When people talk about Spanish red wine, most conversations begin and end with Tempranillo. But some of the most thrilling wines in Spain come from a very different place, both stylistically and geographically. Travel northwest to Bierzo, a rugged and green landscape shaped by mountains and slate, and you’ll discover Mencía: a grape that every serious wine drinker should know. It delivers fragrance, finesse, and lift, along with red fruit, wild herbs, and a mineral core that feels carved straight from the hillsides.
Bierzo is where Mencía shows its true identity. The region’s steep vineyards, ancient bush vines, and stony soils create wines that are vibrant yet layered, concentrated yet agile. Old vine depth meets cool-climate freshness, giving Mencía a character that often reminds people of Pinot Noir or Northern Rhône Syrah, but with unmistakable Iberian personality. It is one of Spain’s most exciting expressions of terroir, and still a discovery for many.
No name is more synonymous with great Bierzo than Raúl Pérez. His work with small parcels and heritage vineyards has shaped modern understanding of what Mencía can be. The approach in his cellar focuses on purity of fruit, respect for site, and patience, resulting in wines that are perfumed, textural, and deeply evocative of place. More importantly, they remain incredibly compelling values when you consider the craftsmanship and pedigree behind them.
Right now, Vinopolis is offering a curated selection of Raúl Pérez’s Mencía wines at up to 10% off when you purchase six or more bottles, now through Friday. This is a perfect moment to explore one of Spain’s most captivating grapes while pricing is in your favor. If you love reds with energy, aromatics, and nuance, Mencía deserves a place in your cellar and on your table. Opportunities like this do not linger long.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock Raúl Pérez wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock Raúl Pérez wines
Sale ends Friday, January 16th at 9AM PST
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Available Raúl Pérez Wines:
Raul Perez Ultreia de Paluezas, Bierzo, Spain 2021 750ml, Displayed Price $75, that’s $71.25 at 5% and $67.50 at 10% off, 4 bottles available now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97 Points “The Ultreia bottling that called my attention from the moment the wines were poured is the 2021 Ultreia Paluezas. I’ve only tasted a couple of vintages of this before, but Raúl Pérez remembers that it has called my attention every time. The distinct feature here is that the plot has limestone soils, which are very rare in Bierzo, and the majority of the place is on slate soils. So, this has the special finesse and elegance of the limestone, and it’s perfumed and elegant and has a velvety palate with very fine, chalky tannins. from only 0.4 hectares or so, and it even has a small part with Palomino; he produces one 225-liter barrel and a 500-liter one.”
Raul Perez Ribeira Sacra El Pecado Tinto Spain 2020 750ml, Displayed Price $75, that’s $71.25 at 5% and $67.50 at 10% off, 8 bottles available now
Winemaker Notes “Aromas of ripe redcurrant, blackberry and notes of eucalyptus and blood orange. In mouth it is an earthy wine, with a perfect balance of fruit and wood. It is a round wine that combines an elegant lightness with a persistent finish of ripe fruit.”
Raul Perez Ultreia Rapolao Mencia, Bierzo, Spain 2021 750ml, Displayed price $64.50, that’s $61.27 at 5% and $58.05 at 10% off, 31 bottles available now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 96 Points “The 2021 Ultreia Rapolao aged exclusively in a 1,000-liter oak foudre that was used before for a white wine and seems to have marked the wine with abundant toasty notes and a spicy twist, with notes of toasted sesame seeds even if the wine only spent 10 months in wood. It has medium-ripeness, moderate alcohol (13%) and a medium-bodied palate with a tender mouthfeel and oak-related flavors in the finish. Is it going to digest the oak nicely? 1,200 bottles produced.”
Raul Perez ‘Ultreia de Valtuille’, Bierzo, Spain 2021 750ml, Displayed price $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% and $62.10 at 10% off, 24 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2021 Ultreia Valtuille was produced with the clay part of their Villegas plot, as the sandy part was used for the new Ultreia Villegas bottling but introduced the lower part of the vineyard with more soil and more clay. They produced more or less the same amount as in previous years, some 18 barrels but in 2021, they introduced barrels for part of the wine, and in this first year, the lightning was new (they used it to ferment a white before). They also started renewing their barrels, so the wines show a little more oak than usual It has moderate alcohol and mellow acidity, and it seems like. the longer cycle and the slow ripening burned some acidity.”
Raul Perez Ultreia La Cova De La Raposa, Bierzo, Spain 2020 750ml, Displayed price $59, that’s $56.05 at 5% and $53.10 at 10% off, 20 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 92 Points “I found very ripe aromas in the 2020 Ultreia Cova de la Raposa and notes of ink and licorice and a touch of cured meat and smoke. This is very round and lush, from a warm zone with sandy soils, south-facing and with a tendency to ripen early. It’s creamy and spherical. There was only one 500-liter oak barrel of this, so some 600 bottles. This was not produced in 2019.”
Raul Perez ‘Ultreia de Valtuille’, Bierzo, Spain 2016 750ml, Displayed price $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% and $80.10 at 10% off, $89 special, 1 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96+ Points “There are only 1,000 bottles of the 2016 Ultreia Valtuille (the new name, as all labels have been simplified and cleaned up, and some of the names have even been shortened). 24 months in barrel. Despite its concentration and power, it has great freshness and perfume. You don’t find excessive tannin, and it seems like the time in barrel has really polished the edges.
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