Cesar Marquez Parcelas del Bierzo Mencia Parajes 2023

Name: Cesar Marquez Parcelas del Bierzo Mencia Parajes 2023
Brand: Sacred Thirst Selections [STS]
SKU: SF-1-STS--102425-33
Price: 25.99 USD
Availability: InStock

$25⁹⁹

From 45 different vineyard parcels across nine Bierzo villages comes this remarkable blend of old-vine Mencía with traditional varieties. Some vines exceed 140 years in age, contributing depth and complexity to the final cuvée. Split fermentation—part stainless steel, part concrete—followed by 12 months in oak barrels of various sizes creates a wine of moderate ripeness, freshness, and impressive balance. One of Bierzo's most precise winemakers.

Shipping

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Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
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Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

We stand behind every bottle we sell.

If the wine is less than 10 years old and it is corked, you may return it to us for a full refund or exchange within 60 days of purchase. You must show us proof of purchase. We understand that you may not live near a shop and that it is difficult to ship open bottles of wine to us, so if there's any problem feel free to Contact Us and we'll work it out.
For wines older than 10 years, the consumer bears the risk of a faulty cork, but we accept returns of older bottles if the wine is faulty as a result of improper storage. Please come by the store or Contact Us if there is a problem.
We may, at our discretion and to the extent permitted by law, accept returns of unopened wines within 30 days of purchase if they were properly stored by the purchaser, subject to a 15% re-stocking fee.

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Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (415) 780-1405

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Antonio Galloni

93 points

"The 2023 Mencía Parajes aged for one year in barrel. Aromas of white pepper, pink peppercorn and red fruit precede an intense, juicy palate with tension and fresh Bierzo character. This is well made, approachable and flavorful." —Joaquín Hidalgo

Robert Parker

94 points

"The 2023 Parajes is his regional red, a blend of different places, soils, expositions and altitudes (between 450 and 780 meters above sea level). It's a real representation of El Bierzo, with grapes from 45 different plots in nine villages. The vines range in age from 80 to 142 years of old and are planted with field blends—approximately 85% Mencía, 10% Alicante Bouschet and 5% other white and red varieties like Bastardo, Sousón and Estaladiña. There are always some full clusters, depending on vintage and plot, and part of the wine ferments in stainless steel and part of it is in bins, as he ferments by plot. The wine matured in 225-, 400- and 500-liter oak barrels for one year. It has moderate ripeness and 13.08% alcohol, a pH of 3.58 and 5.34 grams of acidity, making it lower in alcohol than the 2022 and with more freshness. It's serious and balanced, elegant and fine-boned. It gets very close to the village red this year. This is a bargain." —Luis Gutiérrez

More about Cesar Marquez

We're always looking for the next region of pure, terroir-driven and affordable wines to emerge. As we've observed the quality and diversity of producers from Bierzo grow over the years, we can safely say that this Mencia-rich region in northwest Spain is on our short list. In the early 90’s Raúl Pérez began his quest to put Bierzo and its flagship red grape Mencia on the map by spearheading an effort to establish a Cru classification system. Today we are happy to offer examples of Mencias that follow Raúl’s efforts, made by his nephew César Márquez.

When looking out over the rolling hills of Bierzo it’s easy to see why this region lends itself to single parcel expression wines. The microclimates throughout this part of Castilla y Leon are dramatic, as are the variability of its soils. It’s not uncommon to be walking through a vineyard with full sun beating down and see an intense rainstorm drenching the opposite hillside. As for the soil, in a single vineyard, the border between quartzic granite and schist is as clear as the horizon line.

Raúl Pérez and Álvaro Palacios (of Priorat fame) were among the first to see this potential and began establishing a cru system for the notable vineyards surrounding the village of Valtuille. The idea caught on and, after much planning and organizing, an official Cru classification system was approved by the Spanish government in July of 2017. It’s in this dynamic time in Bierzo’s viticultural history that César Márquez grew up and became inspired.

César's Mencias are a window onto this complex terroir that is Bierzo through a filter of young mind that is both youthful and experimental, but also studied in tradition. César’s family founded the famous Castro Ventosa winery in Valtuille in 1752. With access to some of the most cherished Crus in Bierzo and with experience of working closely with his uncle at his facilities at La Vízcaina César debuted his wines on the world stage in 2015. To say they took the world by storm is a massive understatement.