Raúl Pérez is one of the most internationally renowned Spanish winemakers and also one of the most admired producers by the new generation of winemakers in our country. In fact, the current success of Bierzo owes much to Raúl Pérez. A native of this region, he has created masterpieces with the mencía grape that have conquered the world. Ultreia Saint Jacques 2023 is a delightful red wine made primarily with mencía and aged for 12 months in barrels and conical vats.
Ultreia Saint Jacques 2023 is sourced from small plots (3 hectares in size) located in the village of Valtuille de Abajo. The vines are at least half a century old. Masterfully blending three grape varieties from these vineyards (mencía, alicante bouschet, and bastardo), Raúl Pérez crafts a red wine that is fruity and fresh on the nose, with a smooth and easy drinkability. A wine to enjoy over and over again. It fermented in wooden conical vats, with stems and a long maceration, without temperature control. It was then aged for 14 months in barrels and conical vats.
In 1993, Raúl Pérez began working at the family winery, Castro Ventosa, long before the Bierzo revolution, of which he became one of the key catalysts and a fundamental figure. He spent 10 years at Castro Ventosa. However, Raúl Pérez needed to do things differently, to express himself, to discover other regions. In addition to being the technical director of Bodegas Estefanía, also in Bierzo, where he produces several labels under the Tilenus brand, he began making his own wines, advising other wineries, exploring forgotten grape varieties, rescuing vineyards on the brink of extinction, and created his own company: Raúl Pérez Bodegas y Viñedos.
Ultreia Saint Jacques 2023 is sourced from small plots (3 hectares in size) located in the village of Valtuille de Abajo. The vines are at least half a century old. Masterfully blending three grape varieties from these vineyards (mencía, alicante bouschet, and bastardo), Raúl Pérez crafts a red wine that is fruity and fresh on the nose, with a smooth and easy drinkability. A wine to enjoy over and over again. It fermented in wooden conical vats, with stems and a long maceration, without temperature control. It was then aged for 14 months in barrels and conical vats.
In 1993, Raúl Pérez began working at the family winery, Castro Ventosa, long before the Bierzo revolution, of which he became one of the key catalysts and a fundamental figure. He spent 10 years at Castro Ventosa. However, Raúl Pérez needed to do things differently, to express himself, to discover other regions. In addition to being the technical director of Bodegas Estefanía, also in Bierzo, where he produces several labels under the Tilenus brand, he began making his own wines, advising other wineries, exploring forgotten grape varieties, rescuing vineyards on the brink of extinction, and created his own company: Raúl Pérez Bodegas y Viñedos.
Creators' opinion
Ultreia Saint Jacques displays an intense garnet red color with ruby edges, of medium-high depth. On the nose, it reveals aromas of ripe red fruit (raspberry, wild strawberry, pomegranate juice) over a vegetal background and balsamic notes (bay leaf, fresh rosemary). Subtle hints of wood, with green pine and smoke notes, add complexity. Dry, casual, fresh, and medium-bodied on the palate. Pleasant tannins, moderate acidity, and good balance. Clean and fragrant retronasal sensations, with memories of ripe cherries. A flavorful, ample finish with a medium-long aftertaste that invites you to drink.
Raúl Pérez Bodegas y Viñedos is not a typical winery. For the Bercian winemaker, his company is not about having facilities and a handful of vineyard hectares which he does have, in Salas de los Barrios (where he produces Ultreia Valtuille) and Valdevimbre- but about making wine wherever he feels like it, whether in Monterrei, Ribeira Sacra, or South Africa. Raúl is a wine enthusiast who embarks on projects he believes in and advises numerous wineries in the northwest of Spain.
Raúl Pérez, born in Valtuille de Abajo (León), began his career in 1993 at the family winery Castro Ventosa. After working there for 10 years, he decided to broaden his horizons and, having become a truly free spirit, started a series of projects, each more successful than the last. He became the technical director of Bodegas Estefanía, also in Bierzo, and continued producing and advising in various regions such as León, Rías Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Monterrei, Madrid, and Portugal, among others. Raúl Pérez is currently considered one of the best winemakers in this country and, unanimously, as the one with the brightest future.
