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Raúl Pérez
Spain’s diversity runs far deeper than the well-known powerhouses of Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Beyond those muscular Tempranillo wines lies a completely different expression of Spanish red—one that leans into elegance, perfume, and lift rather than sheer force. Head west into the green, mountainous corner of Castilla y León and climb into the hills of Bierzo, and you’ll find a grape that behaves like Pinot Noir with Iberian flair: Mencía. High-toned florals, crunchy red and black fruit, peppery spice, and an unmistakable mineral edge—this is one of Spain’s most captivating varieties, hiding in plain sight.
Bierzo is where Mencía reaches its most profound form, thanks to its patchwork of ancient vineyards perched across schist, slate, and quartzite slopes. Many plantings are 60–100+ years old, tucked into dramatic hillsides that can only be farmed by hand. The altitude keeps the wines nervy and aromatic; the soils add structure and stony depth; the old vines supply concentration without heaviness. It’s a region built for nuance, not noise—and few people understand that better than Raúl Pérez.
Often called Spain’s most visionary winemaker, Pérez is the figure who elevated Bierzo from a local curiosity to a global insider’s secret. Working with tiny parcels (many barely larger than a backyard), he makes wines that are simultaneously delicate and intense, earthy yet ethereal. His signature? Minimal intervention, whole-cluster fermentation, long macerations, and an almost fanatical respect for site. The result is Mencía with astonishing perfume—violets, wild herbs, cherries, graphite—and an effortless texture that feels more Burgundian than Iberian. While others revived Mencía in the ’90s, Pérez transformed it into an art form.
Today, Raúl Pérez’s wines are some of the most sought-after in Spain—not because they’re flashy, but because they’re soulful. They remain shockingly undervalued considering the meticulous farming, the old vines, and the profound sense of place in every bottle. For drinkers who crave freshness, aromatics, and mineral drive, there may be no better red wine value in the world.
We’re excited to offer a hand-picked selection of Raúl Pérez’s Bierzo bottlings at Vinopolis—each a window into the complexity and quiet magic of Mencía. These wines disappear quickly, so we recommend acting early. This is your chance to experience one of Spain’s greatest winemakers at the peak of his craft.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock Raúl Pérez wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock Raúl Pérez wines
Sale ends Friday December 12th 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, 6 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, 33 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, 27 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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