Cesar Márquez Parajes Bierzo 2021

Country: Spain

Region: Bierzo

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Mencia/Alicante Bouschet/Local white grapes

César Marquez Perez is a rising star among the new generation of Spanish winemakers, focusing on small-scale vinifications of old-vine mencía and godello from small plots known as parajes. He has deep family roots in Bierzo: his family founded Castro Ventosa in 1752 and it is still family-owned today. He grew up immersed in winemaking in Bierzo, learning from older generations of esteemed winemakers, including his uncle Raul Perez. Today César makes wines from six hectares of 80-120 year old vines, all farmed organically.

‘Parajes’ is a mencía-driven village-level red from old vines farmed without pesticides or chemicals. A blend of 85% mencía, and 7% alicante bouschet, along with a tiny amount of a field blend of other local white grapes, half of the grapes for this cuvée are de-stemmed. The grapes are hand harvested and foot-trodden, resulting in partial whole-cluster fermentation, which occurs spontaneously with native yeasts. The wine then spends 12 months barrels, which are blended before bottling.

Medium-bodied, it delivers plenty of red and black fruit, along with touches of spice and the savory herbal undertones typical of Mencia.