{"title":"Castro Ventosa","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCastro Ventosa is the Pérez family’s home estate in Bierzo, northwestern Spain, where they’ve grown grapes since at least 1752. Based in Valtuille de Abajo, it’s a producer built around generations of vineyard knowledge and an exceptional collection of old Mencía vines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the family behind Raúl Pérez, one of Spain’s most influential winemakers. His nephew César Márquez now runs the cellar and day-to-day project, with Raúl contributing his experience.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe family owns its vineyards, including many parcels more than 85 years old. Different soils, slopes and exposures give each plot its own character, which becomes increasingly clear as you explore the village and individual vineyard wines.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMencía is the main attraction, with Godello providing the whites. Larger barrels and gentle cellar work have brought greater freshness to the range, preserving the perfume and detail of the fruit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe love the combination of old-vine depth and drinkability here. From the approachable reds through to the finest vineyard bottlings, Castro Ventosa is a terrific way to discover Mencía and the diversity of Bierzo.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2024-castro-ventosa-el-castro-valtuille-mencia-joven","title":"2024 Castro Ventosa El Castro Valtuille Mencia Joven","description":"\u003cp\u003eDon't let the word 'Joven' fool you - the young bit refers to the wine, not the vines, and this comes entirely from old-vine Mencía parcels, mostly around the village of Valtuille in Bierzo. It's made by the Pérez family, custodians here for around 250 years, with the iconic Raúl Pérez and César Márquez Pérez making the wines together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fruit is fully destemmed, fermented in stainless steel with only a light pump over, then pressed after 18 days and given a short three months in large oak foudres. 2024 was a year of real purity of fruit, despite plenty of rain at harvest, and it shows: bright, crunchy and slurpable, with bramble, red currants, fresh herbs and violets over very fine, delicate tannins and a serious edge underneath. Great with a plate of chorizo, roast chicken or a mushroom pizza, and it'll be even better with a little time in bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOld vines, a legendary winemaking family and a sub-$30 price. One of the great bargains of Spanish wine right here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is always primary and fruit-driven by definition, ripe but fresh... The wine is agile and fine-boned with very fine tannins.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e92 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A precise and focused expression... Wonderfully primary and full of energy.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Vinous\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Castro Ventosa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68005852217387,"sku":"2024 Castro Ventosa El Castro Valtuille Mencia Joven","price":29.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2024CastroVentosaElCastroValtuilleMenciaJoven.png?v=1793317124"},{"product_id":"2023-castro-ventosa-valtuille-vino-de-villa","title":"2023 Castro Ventosa Valtuille Vino de Villa","description":"\u003cp\u003eRaúl Pérez is the winemaker most often credited, alongside Álvaro Palacios, with putting Bierzo on the map. Castro Ventosa is where it all started for him - his family's estate in Valtuille, where the Pérez clan have been tending old vines for the better part of 250 years and where Raúl ran his first harvest at just 22.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the village wine, drawn from century-old vines planted as a field blend of Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera, Trousseau and a few white grapes, all on Valtuille's sandy soils. César Márquez Pérez, whose own label has built a reputation for real precision, now makes the wines alongside Raúl. They fermented it with wild yeasts and a portion of whole bunches in oak vats, left it on skins for around 40 days, then aged it in old, neutral barrels of a few different sizes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2023 was a fresh, pure year in Bierzo, and the wine sits at a light 13%. Expect sour cherry, a floral, almost geranium lift and a juicy, chiselled palate with very fine tannins. There's more going on underneath than the weight suggests. It's great with roast pork, lamb chops or a bowl of chorizo and beans, and will happily sit in the cellar for a good few years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOld vines, a great family and a seriously gifted pair of winemakers, at a village-wine price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The palate is juicy and balanced, linear and chiseled, with a nuanced structure and impressive precision.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Jacobo García Andrade (James Suckling)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e94 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It showcases the year, which was a year of purity and freshness, with very fine tannins and great balance.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Castro Ventosa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68005854281771,"sku":"2023 Castro Ventosa Valtuille Vino de Villa","price":55.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2023CastroVentosaValtuilleVinodeVilla.png?v=1793317113"},{"product_id":"2023-castro-ventosa-cepas-centenarias","title":"2023 Castro Ventosa Cepas Centenarias","description":"\u003cp\u003eCepas Centenarias was Castro Ventosa's first grand vin back in 1999, and it's still the wine that best captures what the Pérez family's old vines in Valtuille can do. The 2023 has picked up 98 points from James Suckling and 97 from The Wine Advocate, which tells you plenty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Pérez family have farmed around Valtuille for something like 250 years. Raúl Pérez, the man credited alongside Álvaro Palacios with putting Bierzo on the map, ran his first harvest here at 22. These days he makes the wines with César Márquez Pérez, whose own label is known for its precision and clarity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn recent years this has come from a single plot in Mata Los Pardos, an old field blend of Mencía with up to 5% Trousseau on clay and sand. It's fermented with wild yeasts and 30% whole bunches in an oak vat, sits on skins for a long 45 days, then spends 12 months in 225- and 500-litre barrels. Only 4,100 bottles were made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a touch riper than most 2023s, though still only 13% alcohol, and it doesn't feel heavy at all. Expect elderberry, dried flowers, herbs and an earthy edge, with firm but fine tannins and a really focused, chiselled finish. Lovely now with slow-roasted lamb or a mushroom risotto, and it has the structure to keep going for years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePower and elegance in the one glass, from one of Spain's great winemaking families. Serious Bierzo, and scarce.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e98 points \u0026amp; \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"a_GcMg font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\"\u003e#9 in the 2025 James Suckling Top 100 Wines of Spain\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Focused and chiseled, it shows structure and seriousness, yet carries a candid, pleasant undertone.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Jacobo García Andrade (James Suckling)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e97 points\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"this is a very complete wine, combining power and elegance... one of the most serious wines from the vintage, also very clean.\"\u003cbr\u003e- Luis Gutiérrez (The Wine Advocate)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e","brand":"Castro Ventosa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68005854412843,"sku":"2023 Castro Ventosa Cepas Centenarias","price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/files\/2023CastroVentosaCepasCentenarias.png?v=1793317090"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2572\/9722\/collections\/Castro_Ventosa_Header.png?v=1793317725","url":"https:\/\/www.differentdrop.com\/collections\/castro-ventosa.oembed","provider":"Different Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}