Gifting has never been easier
Perfect if you're short on time or are unable to deliver your gift yourself. Enter your message and select when to send it.
Description
This is the definitive collection from the man Tim Atkin just named his 2025 Bierzo Winemaker of the Year. César Márquez isn’t just making wine; he’s leading a total revolution in Spanish viticulture, mapping out his home region with a level of detail and obsession that we usually only see in the heart of Burgundy.
Securing his single-vineyard wines has become a genuine challenge as his global star rises. These are the "cru" expressions that have sent critics into a frenzy, including that monumental 100-point debut for the Villegas. They represent the absolute pinnacle of his work and are some of the most soulful, precise, and high-tension reds coming out of Europe right now.Because the production of these individual plots is so miniscule, this mixed pack is the only way to get your hands on all four cuvées.
We have managed to secure just 12 packs for Australia. This is a rare chance to own the complete 2023 "prestige" set from a producer who is officially at the top of his game.
- 2023 Cesar Marquez El Rapolao Mencia
- 2023 Cesar Marquez Pico Ferreira Mencia
- 2023 Cesar Marquez Sufreiral Mencia
- 2023 Cesar Marquez Villegas Mencia
2023 Cesar Marquez El Rapolao Mencia
"César Márquez is my Bierzo Winemaker of the Year for 2025... he is crafting wines with real finesse and a 'vertical' poise that marks him as a leader of the region's new generation."
- Tim Atkin MW
If you’re a fan of Bierzo, you know El Rapolao is one of the most famous crus in the region. It’s a site that usually produces quite wild and powerful wines, but César’s 2023 take is all about refinement. Sourced from a centenary plot in the coldest part of the village, the soil here is packed with iron, which gives the wine a distinct, savory personality.
On the nose, it’s a beautiful mix of forest herbs like thyme and lavender layered over red cherries and blueberries. Because of that iron-rich soil, there’s also a hint of olive tapenade and a ferrous, earthy depth that really sets it apart from the prettier village wines.
The palate is juicy and supple, but it definitely has that signature Rapolao structure. The tannins are fine-grained and firm, giving it a tight, linear focus that carries right through to a minty, lifted finish. César fermented this with about 30% full clusters and aged it in used 500 liter barrels to keep the fruit as the star of the show.
With only 1,911 bottles produced for the entire world, this is a seriously limited expression of one of Spain's most legendary vineyards. It’s a wine of immense quality and focus, offering a velvety texture that masks a deep, complex core. It’s already drinking beautifully, but this is a collector's piece that has the stuffing to evolve for a decade or more.
96+ points "A place with more rusticity, always a little earthier... lower in alcohol and with more freshness and acidity." - Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate)
96 points "Marked by fine-grained yet firm tannins and a focused thread of dark fruit... depth and exceptional balance." - James Suckling
2023 Cesar Marquez Pico Ferreira Mencia
Pico Ferreira is a bit of a departure from the Valtuille-focused wines in the range. Sourced from a high-altitude, shady slope in the village of Corullón, these centenary vines grow on a rare mix of slate and clay. This specific site produces a wine that is noticeably more compact and "stony" than its peers, offering a level of tension and longevity that is truly world-class.
On the nose, it’s subtle and floral, leaning into pomegranate, red cherry, and a hint of balsamic herbs. It’s the kind of wine that plays hard to get, remaining a little discrete at first before slowly revealing layers of flinty mineral detail. It’s an incredibly precise red, defined by that slate-driven energy that makes Corullón such a prized sub-region.
The palate is where you really feel the quality. It’s intense and juicy but held together by firm, fine-grained tannins that give it a serious sense of structure. Because it was aged in larger format oak, the fruit remains incredibly pure and focused, carrying right through to a long, flavorful finish.
With only 1,980 bottles filled, this is another tiny production gem that has caught the eye of the world's top critics. Both Luis Gutiérrez and James Suckling have pinned near-perfect 97 point scores on this vintage, marking it as one of the definitive wines of the year. It’s a sophisticated, "slow-burn" Mencía that will easily reward those patient enough to cellar it for a decade or more.
97 points "Subtle and floral... juicy, delicious and precise with subtle fruit in the firm and flavorful finish." - James Suckling
97 points "A little more discrete... abundant, slightly dusty tannins and long flavor." - Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate)
2023 Cesar Marquez Sufreiral Mencia
"César Márquez is my Bierzo Winemaker of the Year for 2025... he is crafting wines with real finesse and a 'vertical' poise that marks him as a leader of the region's new generation."
- Tim Atkin MW
If there is a "white whale" in the Bierzo region, it’s limestone. Less than 3% of the region’s soil is limestone-based, and Sufreiral is one of the very few wines that gets to call it home. Sourced from a tiny 100 year old plot in Toral de los Vados, this site is basically an anomaly in a sea of slate. The result is a wine with a totally different texture- chalky, fine-boned, and incredibly elegant.
Because this vineyard sits on the southwest-facing side of the mountain at 620 meters, it catches a lot of light but stays fresh thanks to that limestone core. On the nose, it’s remarkably lively and nuanced. You’ll find bright red cherry and rose petals mixed with some really cool, savory notes like tomato vine and watermelon. It’s got a real Atlantic feel to it, being super fresh and mouthwatering.
On the palate, it’s all about finesse. It’s fleshy but delicate, with a "chalky" tannic grip that feels more like talc than grit. César fermented this with about 35% full clusters to pump up that floral, minty perfume, then tucked it away in large 600 liter barrels for a year. It’s a very complete, harmonious red that feels more like a top-tier Burgundy than a traditional Spanish red.
The critics have gone absolutely wild for this vintage, with Wine Advocate and James Suckling both awarding it a massive 98 points. With only 1,940 bottles produced, it’s one of the rarest and most sought-after wines in César’s collection. It’s a vibrant, engaging bottle that really shows what happens when a master winemaker meets a truly unique piece of land.
98 points "Awesome sense of balance on the delicate end of the spectrum... fleshy without excess." - James Suckling
98 points "Very complete, floral and nuanced, elegant and fine-boned... given the limestone soils." - Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate)
2023 Cesar Marquez Villegas Mencia
"César Márquez is my Bierzo Winemaker of the Year for 2025... he is crafting wines with real finesse and a 'vertical' poise that marks him as a leader of the region's new generation."
- Tim Atkin MW
After six years of patience and experimentation, César has finally released his first wine from the legendary Villegas paraje, and he’s certainly made an entrance. This debut hasn’t just turned heads; it has effectively set a new benchmark for the region, picking up a perfect 100-point score from Beth Willard in the 2025 Tim Atkin Bierzo Report.
The Villegas site is widely considered the Grand Cru of Valtuille. It’s a unique 11 hectare patch characterized by pure sandy soils, which is quite a rarity on the Bierzo valley floor. This sand is the secret behind the wine's incredible "ethereal" feel. While many Bierzo reds lean into power and earth, Villegas is all about perfume, grace, and a "talc-like" finesse.
In the glass, the 2023 is intensely floral, bursting with rose petals, lavender, and pink peppercorn. There’s a beautiful citrus lift—almost like orange peel—that keeps it feeling vibrant and agile. It was fermented with 30% whole clusters and aged in large 500 liter barrels, a combination that frames the delicate pomegranate and cherry fruit with just a flicker of woody spice.
With only 1,702 bottles produced, this is an incredibly rare opportunity to own what many critics are calling the "definitive" Valtuille red. It’s a seamless, fine-boned masterpiece that manages to be immediately delightful while possessing the serious foundations needed to age for decades. If you want to see the absolute peak of what César Márquez is capable of, this is the bottle.
100 points "A pure and seamless interpretation of the Bierzo valley floor... built with serious foundations to last." - Beth Willard (Tim Atkin Bierzo Report)
98 points "It could very well be the grand cru from Valtuille... it exceeded my expectations." - Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate)
Others also liked
Recently viewed
Common Questions
Delivery is free on orders of $150 or more.
For orders under this amount, delivery is calculated at checkout based on your postcode. You can order in any quantity or combination of wines you like. Straight dozens are not required.
We will dispatch your order the same or next business day.
Estimated delivery transit time varies depending on your location. Please review this page for specific estimates.
No sorry we do not have a store front and pickup is not available.
Yes, no problem. When placing your order select ‘Store at Different Drop and Delivery Later’ as your shipping method or reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order with additional instructions.
We stock three different sized gift boxes (single, three bottle and six), all are available for purchase for a flat rate of $8. They look great and make an awesome impression.
To add a gift box to your order, simply add at checkout. The special requests box is your friend, please give us as many details of what you are looking for and we will try our best, or get in contact to discuss it with you.
If you want to bulk order gifts or if you have any trouble please email hello@differentdrop.com or call and we can try and help.
Our warehouse is automated so unless you tell us otherwise, we will ship your order. If you would like us to hold your order please reply to the order confirmation email after placing your order and we are happy to store your order for up to 6 months at no charge. You can review our heat policy here.
Yes, of course. We want Different Drop customers to always be getting the best price. You can see our price match policy here.
No, feel free to mix it up! There is no minimum requirement. You can order wines in any quantity or combination, 1 or 50+ bottles.
No, all prices are set at the full discounted dozen rate already.
If you can't add more wine to your cart it means we are low on stock of that wine. For example, if you are only able to 3 bottles and no more that means we only have 3 bottles left of that wine. If it's a must have, please contact us and we may be able to order more in for you.
Need a hand?
We’d love to help you out! Most questions can be sorted quickly through our Help Centre or by dropping us a line on chat or email. If it’s something urgent or you just really want to have a yarn about wine, food, or even the meaning of life, give us a call — we’re here for you.