La Vizcaína El Rapolao 2024
Crianza red wine from El Bierzo. Blend of Mencía, Bastardo and Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) aged for 12 months in used oak barrels.
Details
La Vizcaína El Rapolao 2024
Produced by world-famous winemaker Raúl Pérez, the wine El Rapolao, one of the bottlings of the La Vizcaína collection, is a critically acclaimed Spanish red wine from El Bierzo.
A blend of mostly Mencía, with Bastardo (aka Merenzao and Trousseau) and Garnacha Tintorera (aka Alicante Bouschet), the grapes come mainly from El Rapolao, a 1,5-hectare "Premier Cru" vineyard with steep slopes. 80% of the vines are around 50 years of age; the rest were planted in 1920.
Picked by hand and meticulously selected, the grapes underwent a spontaneous whole-bunch fermentation in open oak vats. Then this Crianza red wine was transferred into used oak barrels, where it was aged for 12 months.
After that, the red wine La Vizcaína El Rapolao 2024 was bottled unfined.
As terroir-bound as it gets, we suggest that you decant this Crianza red wine from El Bierzo some time before drinking.
| Appearance | The red wine La Vizcaína El Rapolao is deep ruby with some bright purplish tinges. |
|---|---|
| Nose | This blend of Mencía, Bastardo and Garnacha Tintorera is layered and intricate, conveying a real sense of place. Forest berries and crunchy red fruit, with hints of tar, spices, bitter herbs, liquorice and a bolt of iron. |
| Palate | It shows excellent focus and definition, as is usually the case with the wines of the one and only Raúl Pérez. Compact and energetic, with abundant tannins and dark forest berries underpinned by some spicy, floral and mineral remembrances. |
| Our personal opinion | The wine La Vizcaína El Rapolao 2024 is intriguing and masterfully crafted, like all Raúl Pérez's wines. |
| OTHER VINTAGES | El Rapolao 2023:: Enterwine 93. Parker 94. El Rapolao 2022: Enterwine 92. Parker 93. El Rapolao 2021: Enterwine 93. Parker 95. El Rapolao 2020: Enterwine 93. Parker 96. El Rapolao 2019: Enterwine 93. Parker 95. El Rapolao 2018: Enterwine 93. Parker 95/95+. Guía Peñín 94. |
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Red |
| D.O. | Bierzo |
| Bottle size | 75 cl |
| Percentage of Alcohol | 13.5 |
| Serving tempurature | 15-17ºC |
| Should this wine be decanted? | 30 minutes before serving |
| Does this wine follow the guidelines of biodynamic Farming? | No |
| Organic | No |
| Is this product free of sulfites? | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Ageing | Crianza |
| Type of ageing | Months in French oak barrels |
| Number of months aged in Barrels | 12 |
| Enterwine's Score | 94 |
| Percentage of variety | Mencía, Bastardo y Garnacha tintorera |
| Pairings | Birds, bluefish, Cooked foods, Cow´s cheese, Cured cheeses, Grilled red meats, Grilled white meats, Mushrooms, Paté, Pickles, Risotto, Roasted lamb, Roasted lamb ribs, Roasted red meats, Rosted piglet, Sheep´s cheese, Specialty Spanish prosciutto |
| Taste | Complex and Elegant, Silky and intense, Tasty with barrel notes |
| Occasion | Business dinner, Dinner with friends, Family reunion, Romantic Dinner, To bring to an engagement |
| Red Grapes | Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorera, Mencía |
