When two legends shake hands, the result is unforgettable. The 2021 “Encinas - La Rata” brings together Antoine Graillot—son of the iconic Alain Graillot of Northern Rhône fame—and Raúl Pérez, the undisputed king of old-vine Mencía. Together, they transport you to Bierzo, a mountain-ringed amphitheater in Castilla y León where hot central plains meet the cool Atlantic. Here, Mencía rules as a medium-bodied, high-acid red that splits the difference between the pepper of Syrah and the elegance of Pinot Noir. For the newcomer, it is the ultimate introduction to elite Spain; for the serious collector, its grand-cru pedigree and unparalleled value mean locking down a 3- or 4-pack is an absolute necessity. The magic of this bottling lies in its ancient, 60- to 80-year-old field blend: co-fermented with 100% whole clusters, the Mencía is joined by Alicante Bouschet for fleshiness, Bastardo for high-toned spice, and a splash of white Doña Blanca for vibrant, aromatic lift.

The winemaking is a thrilling collision of philosophies. Famously, the duo had to rip off a section of Pérez’s winery roof just to crane in a massive cement fermentation vat that Antoine insisted on using. After its time in cement, the wine rested for ten months in large foudres, capturing a pure translation of the prized La Rata parcel. This exceptional site sits directly adjacent to the legendary El Rapolao—a coveted vineyard whose single-vineyard bottlings put Mencia on the world stage. Raúl encouraged Antoine to leave the wine on its skins for an extended post-fermentation maceration, embedding a profound structural backbone into the wine's soulful, old-vine DNA.

With a few years of bottle age, the 2021 vintage has entered a spectacular sweet spot, shedding its primary youth like an elegantly cellared Northern Rhône Syrah or a high-toned Nebbiolo. Give it an hour in the glass, and it unfurls with smoky, cracked-black-pepper aromatics, seamlessly married to the silky, wild-strawberry perfume of a great Burgundy. Yet, the finish delivers that unmistakable, mouthwatering Atlantic crunch of crushed-stone mineral brilliance and electric acidity. Do not miss the chance to secure your share of this legendary, limited-allocation collaboration before our tiny allotment disappears.

¡Viva España! 

Critical Acclaim:

94 Points, Wine Advocate: 

A new paraje bottling from Antoine Graillot, the 2021 Encinas La Rata is from just below El Rapolao, on clay-rich soils, and is surprisingly perfumed but with the underlying earthiness that I consistently find in the wines here. It's medium-bodied, with contained ripeness and 13% alcohol, with some dusty tannins. This fermented in concrete with some 80% full clusters and 30 days of maceration and matured in a used 700-liter oak barrel. These are wines that repay aging in bottle.