Ultreia Saint Jacques

Ultreia Saint Jacques is another great wine from master winemaker Raúl Pérez. It is produced in his native Bierzo, a wonderful wine region located between inland Spain and the coast, where vines enjoy mild weather with the best features of both the Atlantic and continental climates. Grapes grown on old vines, between 50 and 100 years old, in the Villegas vineyard in Valtuille de Abajo, are used alongside younger Mencia from Villadecanes. The older plants are less vigorous and their finer shoots produce small purplish-black grapes in medium-sized bunches. Harvesting is carried out from the first week in September until early October, seeking out those perfectly ripe grapes which will create velvety, fresh and subtle wines.

The whole bunch is used, grapes and stems, and fermented in open wooden vats with a long maceration, little extraction and no temperature control for between two and five months depending on the evolution of each vintage. Ageing is carried out both in 225-litre wooden foudres previously used once or twice and large concrete tanks. The final blend displays the best features of each style of ageing coming together to accompany, favour and embellish the wine's fruity sensations rather than overpower them as sometimes happens.

Bottled unclarified and unfiltered, Ultreia Saint Jacques delights with a clear floral feeling from the start. Notes of violets and fresh mineral aromas amaze the nose, while a clear hint of chalk and a perfectly integrated and refreshing acidity treat the mouth to a seductive sensation. Spices, orange peel, and wild strawberry tarts abound in a full, rounded and delicious gift to the palate. With a little time in the glass, aromas rarely enjoyed in this price range appear – coffee, sarsaparilla, rose petals and ripe redcurrants. A mouth decorated with well-polished tannins and the wonderful freshness typical of wines from the north of Spain.

It may well be one of Raúl Pérez's most economic wines, but it is also undoubtedly one of the best wines in Bierzo thanks to its simple interpretation and surprisingly high quality for a wine at this price. Improving with every vintage, working towards a better and better reflection and expression of its vineyards, Ultreia Saint Jacques is fast becoming an essential wine to understand the true potential of the DO Bierzo appellation, as seen by the fact that prestigious award-winning restaurants like Le Bernardin in New York, widely considered to be one of the best seafood restaurants in the world, have decided to include it on their select wine list. But if you are not planning a visit to New York soon, don't worry, you can enjoy a glass of Ultreia Saint Jacques in the comfort of your own and it tastes just as good!