10/23/26 - 

Today's offer centers on two of the great Northern Iberian wine regions: Dão and Bierzo. The two have many grape varieties in common which have often wound up with different names. The most well-known may be what the Spanish call 'Mencía' and the Portuguese call 'Jaen', but there are many more including 'Bastardo' (aka. Trousseau) and 'Merenzao', which I’ve heard used somewhat interchangeably across the Spanish Portuguese border. With so many varieties in the mix, field blends are very common in the two regions, and you can find a pretty wide array of wines. Generally speaking, Dão and Bierzo are well regarded for their structured and aromatic red wines and elegant, energetic whites. For today's offer, we decided to focus on two producers who stand as great representatives of these two places: Raul Perez and Textura. Raul has become the face of viticulture in Bierzo over the past twenty-odd years, while Textura has developed a reputation for producing some of the best wines in the Dão since launching in 2018. We’re excited to offer a variety of red, white, single-vineyard, and large-format wines from both producers in today’s offer.

With Raul Perez being one of the most prolific winemakers out there, involved in countless collaborations with other winemakers across Spain, it’s easy to forget that the Ultreia line, first commercially released in 2003, was the first project of his own. In 2011, he teamed up with his nephew César Márquez to launch a side-project called La Vizcaina. Both Ultreia and La Vizcaina are based in and around the area of Valtuille de Abajo, Raul’s hometown. The main difference between the two projects is that the Ultreia wines are made from vines that have belonged to his family for generations, while the Vizcainas are more specifically focused on hillside crus that Raul leases. Since launching these projects, Raul has become a wine rockstar as well as a guiding influence for his region. It would be a shame if we lost the essence of Bierzo’s old, co-planted vineyards to bad farming, but thankfully Raul’s ambition to farm organically and biodynamically has been a great success, and we have seen more and more good wine coming out of Bierzo over the years. The newest vintages of the entry level Ultreia Godello and St. Jacques Tinto are spectacular. The white shows heaps of minerality and fresh citrus fruit, while the red (mostly Mencía along with some Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorera, Palomino and more) is perfumed, structured and generous in fruit. 

Textura started when Marcelo Araujo moved his family from Brazil to Portugal’s highest point, the Serra da Estrela mountain range. After renovating and converting an old textile factory into a winery, the 2018 vintage would be the estate’s first, with Mariana Salvador joining on as head winemaker and famed Dão producer, Luis Seabra as a consultant. Farming is certified organic and great care is taken to nurture the soils and biodiversity of the vineyards. The granite soils and high altitude of the Serra da Estrela are a great match for the winemaking prowess shared between Mariana, Marcelo and Luis. Both the red and white wines are nicely structured with lots of focus, freshness and depth. The Pretexto Branco and Tinto are blends of different vineyards and see the least amount of aging. These are the most approachable wines in the lineup but they’re not without elegance and structure that you don’t usually find at this price point. The step up to the Textura da Estrela Branco and Tinto does not disappoint, as both wines are fine-tuned and lively. The white has a delicate reductive note of toasted brioche that doesn’t distract at all from the wine’s citrus fruit and freshness. The red shows concentration and length but without overextraction or imbalance. And lastly, the Pura Branco and Tinto are the richest and most powerful of the bunch. The red is marked by its fine tannins and pure fruit, while the white is loaded with minerality and acidity. More details on winemaking can be found in the item descriptions of each cuvée.

-Nick Douglas

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