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Raul Perez Prieto Picudo

Raul Perez Prieto Picudo

Raul Pérez Prieto Picudo is made by Bodegas y Viñedos Raul Pérez in the northern appellation of Leon. The vineyard was planted in 1908 and most of its vines were buried under the earth to help them survive Leon’s extreme windy conditions and dramatic day/night temperature swings. In the words of The Wine Advocate’s Dr. Jay Miller: “[Raul Pérez Prieto Picudo is] perhaps the most unique of the Raul Perez wines.” The Prieto Picudo grape’s two great virtues are acidity and tannin. This distinctive grape makes Bordeaux-like wines that can age for many years. Raul Pérez Prieto Picudo needs a decade in bottle before it can show everything it has to offer. Raul Pérez is one of Spain’s finest winemakers and some wine trade veterans believe Raul is among a handful of the best winemakers in the world. Raul believes great wines are made in the vineyard and he has an uncanny knack for knowing what his vineyards need to achieve their greatest potential. As his virtuoso winemaking talent has become known, many winemakers now seek to collaborate with Raul.

What makes this wine unique?

A single-vineyard tiny production wine made from 100 year old buried vines. This wine will age for more than 30 years. Produced in the arid appellation of Leon. Raul’s Prieto Picudo showcases the silky and elegant side of this robust, tannic grape.

Rating history:

2009 94+RP; 2007 96RP

Grape:

100% Prieto Picudo, from 100-year-old vines.

Pairing Suggestions:

Richly flavored grilled or roasted meats are a good match for this wine, including medallions of venison, baby lamb chops, beef short ribs and rare Wagyu or Kobe beefsteaks. Wild and heirloom variety mushrooms will pair well with this wine.

Vinification and ageing:

After de-stemming the bunches, the grapes macerate and are fermented in large, 3,000-liter open-topped wood vats (foudres). Skin contact takes place for 40 days with a little punching down (pigeage), as needed. With Prieto Picudo, Raúl does not utilize whole-cluster fermentation because, unlike Mencía, Prieto Picudo has a great amount of acidity. The wine is aged in French oak barrels made from stave wood that has been carefully dried for over three years. The toasting of these barrels is extremely minimal. Raúl likes to use different barrels to age Prieto Picudo than to age Mencía. Prieto Picudo has significantly more tannins and acidity, so the barrels need to help polish the massive tannic structure of these grapes. The wine is aged for 17 months in French oak barrels.

Production:

125 cases are made; 30 for the U.S.

Location, Soil, Climate:

The vineyards are in Zone #2, within the town of Pajares de Los Oteros (population: 405) located just south of the historic city of Leon at 794 meters (2,605 ft.) elevation. The soil is composed of brown, rocky, alluvial deposits and limestone. The area of Leon has an average temperature from April-October of 58.7°F and the annual rainfall of 21.9 inches. The wide contrast of day/night temperatures limits which grape varieties can grow here. The windy conditions in this area of Spain are key factor that mitigates undesirable humidity. Grapes from this area have thick skins, are very aromatic and are driven by bright acidity.

Tasting notes:

RP Prieto Picudo exhibits an opaque purple-color, it has a mind-boggling bouquet of mineral, truffle, incense, and black raspberry. Firm on the palate, with silky-textured black fruits, succulent flavors, and a 60-second finish. Impeccable balance.

Alcohol Content:

13.5%

UPC Code:

NO UPC CODE