Wine Advocate
29,00 €
If you want to understand why everyone gets so excited about Bierzo, start here. El Rapolao is one of the great named vineyards of Valtuille, and Raúl Pérez’s version gives you a proper taste of top-flight Mencía at a price that still makes me smile.
Rapolao is a cool, higher hillside in Valtuille de Abajo, split between dozens of small growers. La Vizcaína’s bottling comes from a handful of old plots there, much of it planted back in the 1970s with some even older vines mixed in, so there’s a little field blend alongside the Mencía. The soils are red clay scattered with river stones, the vines are farmed organically, and in the cellar Raúl keeps things simple: whole bunches and wild yeasts in wooden vats, a long, slow maceration, then about a year in older barrels. It’s bottled without fining or filtering.
In the glass it’s a vivid, mid-ruby red. The nose is all red cherry, raspberry and violets, with a peppery, slightly herbal lift from the whole bunches and a cool, earthy edge. The palate is juicy and fresh with fine, chalky tannins, never heavy, and the finish lingers on red fruit and a touch of spice. Lovely now with a little air, and it will happily keep for several years.
It’s a brilliant all-rounder at the table: roast chicken, grilled pork or lamb chops, a mushroom risotto, or a board of cured meats and semi-cured cheese. Serve it slightly cool, around 15°C.
| Terms and Conditions | By completing this booking you are agreeing to these terms and conditions. |
|---|---|
| Consent | You warrant that you are over 18 years old. |
| Group Coordinator. | In order to book your event we require a single coordinator of your group. As the Group Coordinator you are responsible for all communications with Martha’s Vineyard. You ensure that all group members are at least 18 years old. You will be responsible for the payment of any deposit and final payment at the event. The final payment may be split between members of your group but you take sole responsibility that the final payment is completed in full. |
| Deposit | To Conform your booking we require a 50% deposit of the total payable amount for your event. The balance must be paid before the event. |
| Changes to Booking | You may make changes to the number of guests in your party prior to the event provided that you do not fall below the minimum acceptable group count of 10. You must inform Martha’s Vineyard of your requested changes and receive confirmation that the changes are acceptable. Please note: You will not be able to remove guests from your party within 5 days of the event. You may add guests to your event up until 2 days prior to your event. |
| Refunds | Once you have completed your booking you may request a refund of any deposit if you cancel your booking. Please note that if you wish to cancel the booking entirely or in part less than 3 days prior to the event you will be required to pay the full price of the event. As group coordinator you are solely responsible to complete this payment on or before the date of the event. |
