El Rapolao by Raúl Pérez has long been one of Botilia’s favorite wines, and we’re delighted to have secured a small allocation of bottles! Especially since the outstanding 2023 vintage once again earned impressive scores: 95 points from James Suckling, 94 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and 96 points from Vinous. Once you taste El Rapolao, you’ll immediately understand why. If we may offer one piece of advice: stock up while you can, because this wine is expected to disappear quickly!
The legendary Raúl Pérez, having honed his craft alongside Bierzo master and Mencía pioneer Álvaro Palacios, set out to elevate both the grape variety and the region’s terroir to an entirely new level. Some call him a winemaking genius, others one of the world’s greatest winemakers—and it’s hard to argue with either. Suffice it to say that more than 200 of his wines have been reviewed by Robert Parker, a testament to the remarkable consistency and quality of his work.
El Rapolao is one of the most important vineyards in Bierzo, and inspired by Burgundy’s vineyard-focused philosophy, Raúl Pérez encouraged other producers to craft wines from this celebrated site, helping showcase the greatness of its terroir. The El Rapolao 2023 blend is based primarily on Mencía, complemented by Bastardo and Garnacha Tintorera, sourced from vines over 50 years old. Fermentation takes place with whole clusters and indigenous yeasts, preserving the vineyard’s pure expression. The wine is then aged for 12 months in 225- and 500-liter French oak barrels before being bottled unfiltered, ready to captivate from the very first glass.
One final note: a six-bottle case of El Rapolao 2023 is probably not enough. Consider yourself warned!
