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Raul Perez (La Vizcaina) Bierzo Mencia La Poulosa 2019

$4999

Raul Perez is the winemaker who dragged Bierzo out of obscurity and made Mencia a grape people argue about. La Vizcaina is his home-turf project around Valtuille de Abajo, working the old parcels of slate and clay in the hills of northwest Spain, where the vines are frequently ancient and the plots are tiny. La Poulosa is one of the single-site bottlings, and like the rest of the range it goes light on extraction and heavy on site expression. Mencia at its best sits somewhere between Cru Beaujolais and the Northern Rhone: floral, peppery, medium-bodied and mineral rather than big. Bierzo remains one of the best value propositions in serious European red wine.

Shipping

Every step of the journey is managed to uphold the integrity of each bottle.

  • Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
  • Temperature-Monitored Shipping: We closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure shipments travel safely, with insulated packaging and refrigerated transport available when required.
  • 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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Have Questions?

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Hours

Monday - Friday: 11am - 8pm

Saturday: 12pm - 5pm

CLOSED SUNDAYS

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


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Antonio Galloni

93 points

"Glistening ruby-red. Ripe, spice-tinged blackberry, cherry cola, licorice and pungent floral qualities on the fragrant nose. Intense red and dark berry liqueur flavors are energized by building spice and smoky mineral flourishes. Concentrated as well as lively and focused, finishing with strong, youthfully tannic persistence and suggestions of candied violet and exotic spices." —Josh Raynolds

Robert Parker

94 points

"The 2019 La Vizcaína La Poulosa was the first vineyard to be harvested, so the wine is a lot fresher than in the past. They now control almost 100% of the vineyards they use, which has also translated into more precision. It's still juicy and approachable. 9,000 bottles produced. They now have almost three hectares in this cru." —Luis Gutierrez

More about Raul Perez

Few people have changed the landscape of a wine-producing country the way Raúl Perez has for Spain. From his inaugural vintages in the mid-90s up to the present, he has been a catalyst for the New Spain movement that has revolutionized the way we think about Spanish wine.

He started off at his family's estate, in a corner of the relatively obscure region of Bierzo. Within just a few years he realized that his enological training was important, but not as important as responding to natural cues and his own intuition. He's been touted Spain's best winemaker many times over, and many regard him as one of the world's best — full stop.

Though he's a passionate and highly trained winemaker, he paradoxically wants his impression on the wine to be as minimal as possible. He aims to highlight purity of fruit, as well as the unique terroir of wherever he happens to be — which could be just about anywhere. He's a man constantly on the move, either tending to his own vines, purchasing fruit from like-minded growers or advising his acolytes.

Though he has put down roots all over world, there's no abandoning his hometown of Valtuille de Abajo, and arguably his most ambitious project is intricately tied to Raúl's home turf. Following the Burgundian model, each site is vinified separately in pursuit of pinpointing the difference made to the wine by changes in elevation, soil type, exposure and more. The wines are all Mencía-heavy, but other varieties, mostly Bastardo, or Trousseau, and Garnacha Tintorera, or Alicante Bouschet, though a few plots feature some white varieties in addition.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Mencia

  • Vintage

    2019

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Organic

  • Style

    Earthy , Minerally

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Roast chicken with pimenton, grilled octopus, or jamon and manchego.

Tasting Profile

Medium-bodied dry red with red and black fruit, black pepper and violets, fresh acidity and fine tannins.

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