2020 Raúl Pérez Ultreia Saint Jacques (Bierzo)
Originates mainly from clay soils and contains 80% whole-bunch fruit that is predominantly Mencia, augmented with a field blend of Alicante Bouschet, Palomino and Trousseau, inter alia.
It’s difficult to overstate Raúl Pérez's influence on Galicia’s wines and their growing reputation. I’d go so far as to say that no single winemaker, anywhere in the world, has made as significant an impact in such a relatively short period of time. As the years have gone by, I’ve noticed a slightly more edgy character to Pérez’s wines, and I get a sense that they have become, if anything, less polished and less safe – and that’s meant in the very best way. There’s an increasing confidence to them that’s palpable. Pérez has always been a big proponent of open-top wood fermenters and the use of whole clusters, with slow macerations, but he doesn’t stick to a strict recipe, letting the vintage dictate his approaches.
- Josh Raynolds, June 2021
Raul Pérez is an icon and this is the best red I've had from either Bierzo or Ribeira Sacra.. it's the field blend component that makes it.
Like the Marcel Deiss of Spain (?)
Monday, September 22, 2025
Bierzo!
Friday, September 5, 2025
1996 Henry Estate Pinot Noir Umpqua Valley Barrel Select
Honestly, I didn’t even know that there is a Umpqua Valley in Oregon. It's in the southwestern part of the state, just north of Rogue Valley AVA.
Sometimes, great things can come from unheralded wineries. This bottle showed incredibly well and ended up being WOTN, paired with steamed mussels and whole chargrilled branzino.
Lean when first opened.... there was solid fruit hiding in the background so decanted it to aerate. After a couple of hours, this thing really developed into a surprisingly classic Oregon pinot noir showing tasty fruit and balanced acidity. Reminded me of opening a really old Nebbiolo and tasting it come to life over several hours.
Fun experience! 🍷👍
1999 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon Catena Appellation Agrelo
Sourced from estate vineyards originally planted in 1973 and propagated via massal selection. Decanted to aerate at dinner. Big structure. Tasty classic fruit but needed a couple of hours to open up. Blackberry, resolved tannins, hints of tobacco and herbs. Tremendous length on the savory finish. Really very enjoyable.
