César Márquez Parajes Bierzo 2023

César Marquez grew up among vines in el Bierzo. His family founded the historic Castro Ventosa winery in 1752, and he learned from legends like his uncle, Raúl Pérez. But in 2015, he started his own project. He farms six hectares of 80 to 120-year-old vines organically, parcel by parcel (or how they say in Spanish, "parajes"). He does partial whole cluster, low sulphur, and has a Burgundian focus on site. This wine is made witth mostly Mencía, but also has some Alicante Bouschet and other local grapes (including white grapes!) We don't have enough words to express how in love we are with this wine. So much that sometimes we don't even push to sell it because we want it all for ourselves. It's lifted and perfumed, with layers of crushed raspberries and black fruit, and this savoury herbal thing. Round and juicy, and the tannins seem to be wrapped in the silkiest of gowns. Violets, wet river stones, that deep cold smell of a humid forest floor. It's pretty and moody all at once.