The Wine Advocate chimed in with another round of incredible reviews. I managed to finagle a little more of the Vitoriana and the Gundinas. 

So what are they? They are made from old vines in the northwestern Spanish region of Bierzo. Mostly Mencia with little bits of Bastardo (Trousseau), Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Doña Blanca and Palomino. They don't really know exactly because nobody remembers when the vineyards were planted, and it all just kind of grows together! What's Mencia, then? Think great red Burgundy, mixed with top-notch Oregon Pinot, with a dash of Cabernet Franc... hmm... actually, as I drink another bottle... there is starting to be a striking resemblance to old-school Rhone reds as well... this wine has it all - fruit, earth, subtlety and nuance, yet expressive and accessible...

Perhaps that is the greatest triumph of Raul – his ability to craft wines that appeal to every wine lover. You can simply pop the cork and enjoy the wine for its vibrant fruit and textural suppleness. Or you can geek out and seek to discover every nuance of fruit – raspberry, brambleberry, boysenberry, black cherry, etc - along with the subtle earth notes of black tea, fresh herbs, coffee, etc.  I suggest decanting for 45 minutes to truly let this baby shine, serve at cellar temp, or even a little cooler if drinking outside, and enjoy! I’ve enjoyed this wine with all kinds of foods, roast chicken, tuna, salmon, lamb, burgers, the options are endless. It’s just such a fabulously balanced and food friendly wine!

Raul Perez La Vizcaina La Vitoriana 2019 – Sale $34.99 - 96 pts Wine Advocate – Raul says this is his most consistent vineyard – and the only one that he owns in its entirety. He dubs it “the half pipe” – as in snowboarding – due to the vineyard’s unique shape and both northern and southern exposures. This double exposure results in a unique yin and yang to the wine – ripe fruit along with bright acidity. This is accentuated by a mixture of sandy and clay soils. Day in, day out, this baby is exactly what you want it to be!

“The 2019 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana comes from sandy soils and mostly north-facing vines, delivering elegant and floral wines. It's very young and fruit-driven." WA on 2019

This 2018 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana includes vines that were replanted in 2014/2015 with Bastardo (Merenzao or Trousseau), so the wine is more aromatic, more ethereal, perfumed and elegant, really impressive. This is the most aromatic and impressive; there is a conjunction of everything, the north-facing vineyards. It has impressive depth and expressiveness; it's wild but refined, explosive and more Burgundian than any of the la Vizcaína wines. This has character and attitude, light, power, energy, freshness and symmetry; it has a fine thread, lace-like, really impressive. In my head, Tom Jones started singing his famous song "Sex bomb, sex bomb..." This is an incredible wine at an incredible price point." WA on 2018 for reference

Raul Perez La Vizcaina Las Gundinas 2019 – Sale $34.99 – 95 pts Wine Advocate -  East-facing, and lower in altitude, the rains are often blocked by the western hills, making this the driest of vineyards. From vines planted in 1910  and in soil with a proportion of limestone, the result is a bit more nuanced and complex. “Pérez told me that Las Gundiñas is quite unpredictable, and the 2019 La Vizcaína Las Gundiñas is more Rhône-like and juicy, with notes of straw and hay and also a note of iron. It's 13.5% alcohol. They always ferment with 10% full clusters and have the same maceration, but they have lowered the time in barrel as the wines stay in the fermentation oak vats until February and then are put in 500-liter and larger barrels and bottled before the next harvest."



Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Friday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.