2021 Cesar Marquez Perez Valtuille Vino de Villa Mencia

Cesar Marquez has Bierzo running through his veins, and is the latest generation of the Perez family to own the leading Castro Ventosa winery in north-western Spain. Growing up around surrounded by the region's leading exponents, including a lengthy apprenticeship with one of the world's greatest winemakers, his uncle Raul Perez, has shaped much of what Cesar values in wine. While he still manages the family estate, Cezar started his own venture in 2015, and is already one of the most exciting young prospects in Spain.

Having a deep understanding and access to some of the best vineyards Bierzo has to offer, Cezar focuses on preserving purity and freshness, highlighting the promise Mencia has in the right place when made with attention to detail. Cezar is structuring his line-up of wines in Burgundian fashion, making a broader appellation wine, a village wine, along with several single vineyard offerings. Winemaking is similar on all wines, with grapes partially destemmed and fermented in open barriques, before spending 12 months in old barrels without any racking or top ups before bottling the following winter. These are wines that are not just great examples of Bierzo Mencia, but wines that truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest from any region or country.

Valtuille Vino de Villa replaces the previous Las Firmas bottling, and is Cezar's village wine sourced from two sites in the village of Valtuille, considered the most prestigious village in Bierzo.

Other Reviews....
The 2021 Valtuille Vino de Villa is his village wine that has replaced his old Las Firmas starting in 2019. For this, he selects plots of old vines with a field blend of Mencía with some 10% Alicante Bouschet and 5% whites and other reds on sandy soils that tend to produce finer and more elegant wines. It fermented by plot in 1,000-liter vats with some full clusters and different macerations, ranging between 15 to 60 days. It matured in 500-liter oak barrels. The grapes were picked quite early, and all the wines have below 13% alcohol and very fine and elegant tannins, the signature of the cooler year. 5,215 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2022. Drink 2023-2030.
94+ points
Luis Gutiérrez - Wine Advocate (Aug 11, 2023)