The producer
Castro Ventosa is a family founded and owned wine estate, in the hands of the Perez family since 1752. Today the family owns 72 hectares of Mencia vineyards and are thus the biggest landowner of this grape variety within Bierzo DO. Current generation is the Spanish winemaking legend Raul Perez, who along with being involved with the family vineyard also runs his own company, Bodegas y Vinedos Raul Peres.
The winery – the name of which translates ‘the windy castle’ – is situated in the village of Valtuille de Abajo. The flagship wine Valtuille is made from five parcels of pre-phylloxera vines which grow on the only sandy soil found in Bierzo. Two excellent wines are produced, a red (Mencia) and a white (Godello).
The wine
Valtuille Cepas Centenarias is sourced from a single plot of centenarian vines which is co-planted with many different grape varieties. Valtuille consists of 85% Mencia with the remainder a blend of local indigenous varieties. Wild yeast fermented with a long post-maceration, Valtuille is left to mature for 1 year in 225- and 500-l French oak barrels. This is a pure and vibrant wine with ripe yet crisp blueberry and blackberry fruit, herbal, fresh acidity, and silky texture. Robert Parker has awarded Valtuille very good scores over the years. Just 3500 bottles are produced each year.
