Bierzo is technically part of Spain’s Castilla y Leon, but famously sits right on the edge of Galicia—so much so that the wines are effectively “honorary” Galicians. As with the Galician wine zones, Bierzo experiences a cool, wet Atlantic Ocean influence, but as you move eastward, to lower altitudes closer to the Sil River, the influence of the warmer, drier plains to the east can be felt. At higher elevations (1500-2500 feet for today’s wine), the Bierzo soils are a mix of slate and granite, transitioning to more “alluvial” material—sand, silt, and clay—in the lower-lying areas. Another beauty of the region’s wine revival is that it’s home to some ridiculously old vines: a whopping 80-120 years of age for “El Rapolao.”

César Marquez Pérez grew up learning alongside his rock-star uncle, Raul Pérez. Their extended family, of course, has been a leading light in the Bierzo DO since they founded the iconic Castro Ventosa winery in 1792. César is among the front line of Spanish winemakers who are determined to reconnect with this ancient land and vines through organic farming, site-specificity, and minimal cellar intervention. For “El Rapolao,” one of four viños de parcela (single-vineyard wines) he produces, César sources from a tiny, west-facing vineyard parcel in the village of Valtuille, situated at 540 meters of elevation.

After hand-harvesting, grapes from the site were fermented in open-topped oak barriques using 35% whole grape clusters. After a yearlong upbringing in old 225- and 500-liter barrels, it is bottled. In the glass, the 2019 it’s a deep ruby moving to purple/magenta at the rim, with a beguiling nose of pomegranate, plum, red and black raspberry, wet roses and violets, graphite, a hint of eucalyptus (hello, Loire Cab Franc!), and crushed stones. It is medium-bodied and bright on the palate, the tannins barely perceptible and the acid bright but not sharp. The silky and energetic palate impression is where the Burgundy comparison really comes into play—it is easy to drink but aromatically persistent on the finish. It is an absolute pleasure to drink now: Decant it about 30 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems.