2021 Raul Perez "Atalier" Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain
ABOUT THIS WINE
Extremely exciting project from Raul Perez, making Albariño in a traditional manner. The vines have been farmed by the same family since the mid-nineteenth century, giving the wine an extra intensity and concentration. The grapes are picked later than most to soften the acidity, meaning malolactic fermentation isn’t needed. The wine is then fermented in 5,000-liter oak foudre and stainless steel, approximately 50/50 of each. A serious Albariño which may cause you to rethink your perceptions of the grape.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Raúl Pérez Pereira is universally considered to be one of the world’s most visionary winemakers. He was born into a winemaking family, Bodegas Castro Ventosa, the largest owner of Mencia plantings in Bierzo. Since he produced his first vintage for his family’s winery in 1994 at the age 22, he has been in the forefront of the conversation about what has been called “The New Spain”. In 2005, he left his family business to strike out on his own, creating Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez, which quickly became the point of reference for the Bierzo appellation.
The wines in the Ultreia series follow the Burgundy model: a pair of entry-level “village” wines from multiple sites and then a collection of single-vineyard expressions. The majority of these vineyards are located in the village of Valtuille de Abajo, where the Pérez family has lived and worked for generations.
Also included under the Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez label are some wines from outside of Bierzo. His two most coveted (and limited) red wines, El Pecado and La Penitencia, hail from the Amandi zone of the Ribeira Sacra D.O. There are also two wines that correspond to the Tierra de León D.O., a white from the Albarín grape (not Albariño) and a red from Prieto Picudo.
The final wine in this collection is Sketch Albariño, undoubtedly Raúl’s most famous bottling. Contrary to popular belief and, indeed, some reports in major media outlets, this wine is not aged underwater. It is, however, one of the finest white wines produced in Spain, and demand for it always outpaces supply.