Bierzo Special Report: The Frontier of Spanish Wine

El Bierzo has emerged in the past decade as one of the most significant wine regions in Spain, with fresh and crunchy but also profound and ageworthy reds making a name for the frontierland perched on the edge of Galicia in the country’s northwest.

Traditionally, El Bierzo has been viewed as a transitional zone between Galicia, to the west, and the rest of Spain, bearing a greater resemblance to neighboring appellations like Galicia’s Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras than to the drier landscapes of Castilla y Leon’s Ribera del Duero or Arlanza. The region's endless hills, its combination of Mediterranean and Atlantic climates as well as indigenous grape varieties further emphasize its closer ties to Galicia.  

 “We are at a crossroads, we are at the frontier between Galicia and Castilla,” said Ricardo Perez Palacios, the winemaker who runs Descendientes de J. Palacios. “In the context of wine, we are between what is Atlantic and what is continental.” 

During our three-day trip last fall through Bierzo and its various subregions, villages and designated vineyards, we tasted through three vintages: the cooler 2021, the warmer 2022 as well as a few wines from the balanced 2023 vintage. The wines consistently displayed notable typicity, with the 2021 reds characterized by floral notes and accessibility, reflecting what producers refer to as the cooler Atlantic influence in the region. In contrast, 2022 produced wines with darker fruit profiles but equally enjoyable qualities. 

Among the standout wines from 2021 is the César Márquez Mencía Bierzo Sufreiral Vino de Paraje 2021, which is from an exceptional hillside vineyard in Toral de Vados. Cesar Marquez is the owner and winemaker of the namesake project, and his Sufreiral vineyard features head-trained vines that are over 100 years old. The Vine de Paraje is fermented with a variable proportion of whole clusters before aging in neutral, 600-liter French oak barrels, and the result is a wine of extraordinary elegance but also depth – a definitive example of exceptional mencia.  

The wine exemplifies the fresh character of the vintage, which overall yielded elegant and floral wines that producers raved about – although Marquez commented that “when it's a cool vintage here in Bierzo, they complain that it's too light in Galicia,” referring to more interior appellations like Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras, where bolder wines are the norm. 

From the 2022 vintage, Descendientes de J. Palacios' mystical and rare Bierzo La Faraona is undeniably impressive, while its Las Lamas is more approachable. The 2022 growing season was notably dry and warm, with Las Lamas benefiting from higher clay content in its soil, which helps retain moisture. Currently designated as Gran Viña Clasificada – equivalent to a grand cru – Las Lamas showcases its potential in warmer years. 

Bierzo’s landscape features rolling hills dotted with small parcels of ancient head-pruned vineyards. Mencia dominates the region, accounting for 70 percent of the total vineyard area, with smaller proportions of red grape varieties such as garnacha tintorera (alicante bouschet), bastardo and pan y carne, alongside white varieties including godello, which is surging in popularity, doña blanca, malvasia and palomino. Mencia’s naturally low acidity and short growing cycle pair well with the contrasting garnacha tintorera, adding brightness to the final wines. 

The rising popularity of godello, which now accounts for about 16 percent of the vineyard area in Bierzo, has led to increased prices for the grape, making it more expensive than mencia. In response, many mencia vineyards are being regrafted with godello. However, the finest white wines from Bierzo often originate from older godello clones, distinguished by their smaller bunches – typically no larger than a clenched fist. In the right hands, these older clones result in more substantial and characterful wines.  

Raul Perez, one of the legendary winemakers of Bierzo and Spain, produces La Claudina, a wine sourced from a small parcel in Valtuille planted on sandy soils. Notably, the barrels used for this wine are never topped, allowing it to develop a natural flor – a thin layer of yeast that enhances its flavor profile. The resulting wine is tense and agile, characterized by an appealing salinity that adds to its complexity.

Bierzo shares the characteristic of smallholdings common in Galicia, with vineyard extensions being highly fragmented and diverse. Altitudes within the appellation vary between 500 and 1,100 meters elevation, leading to a range of soil types and exposures that contribute to diverse wine expressions.  

Since 2017, Bierzo has followed a Burgundy-inspired classification system, and there are now 1,500 registered vineyard parcels, or “parajes,” throughout the appellation. Similar to a French lieu-dit, each of these plots is identified by specific soil types, altitude and orientation.

FROM VILLAGE WINES TO GRAN VINOS

Within the system, the Vino de Villa category – for village wines – denotes wines from specific municipalities with strict yield requirements. The Vino de Paraje category corresponds to specifically identified areas and may encompass multiple parcels within a designated area, all of which must adhere to stricter yield restrictions. The two higher classifications for single-vineyard wines are Vino de Viña Clasificada (or cru wines) and Gran Vino de Viña Clasificada (grand cru), which takes 10 years to achieve).

The style of wine produced is largely influenced by the location of the vineyards. During our visit, we explored four municipalities categorized under the Vino de Villa designation. Valtuille, while situated at a lower altitude, has remarkable diversity in terms of soil types and orientations. The soil here tends to be deeper and richer in clay, with additional layers of sand and stones, while the rolling landscape creates various exposures. It is traditionally said that “there is not one meter of land in Valtuille that is not suitable for planting vineyards,” and indeed, the landscape is predominantly covered in vineyards, unlike in other villages, where parcels are more isolated. 

In contrast, Corullon features vineyards at higher altitudes, ranging from 500 to 1,000 meters, characterized by predominantly schist soils. Notably, Palacios cultivates three lieu-dits, including a new addition, Al Chelo, which is an homage to Ricardo Palacios' mother, who was known as Chelo and passed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This vineyard is in a challenging, steep area that has not always produced mature grapes. It is also vulnerable to wildlife of all kinds, from wild boars to the Suzuki fly. As Palacios said,  "it has everything," highlighting the various challenges and complexities of the site. The sample we tasted was focused, exhibiting bright acidity and firm tannins that we suspect may require additional time to fully develop. 

Despite Valtuille and Corullon being regarded as the epicenters of Bierzo, the region is home to several satellite areas that contribute unique characteristics, enriching the overall mosaic of Bierzo's wine landscape. Two notable examples are Cobrana and San Pedro de Olleros.

In Cobrana, a village in Bierzo Alto, we visited with winemaker Veronica Ortega, who runs her eponymous winery. This high-altitude area features vineyards co-planted with a greater proportion of white varieties, including godello, palomino and doña blanca. The combination of altitude and these white varietals contribute to the production of delicate, almost pale reds that are worthy of attention. A standout example is the Verónica Ortega Cobrana 2022. 

And in San Pedro de Olleros, a small town to the north of Bierzo, winemaker Silvia Marrao works a series of tiny plots at about 750 meters altitude, each thriving in different microclimates. The resulting wines for her project, Banzao, are characterized by bright fruit and a fresh, distinctive style. Check out her Banzao Bierzo Paraje Penedon 2021, which comes from a single old vineyard planted on slate soils and is fermented with 35 percent whole clusters, and Banzao Bierzo Vino de Paraje Almorelle 2022.

Despite Bierzo’s focus on zonification, it produces exceptional entry-level blends from different areas that are round, approachable and bursting with delicious fruit. In many cases, these blends can offer more complexity than single vineyards. Notable examples include Descendientes de J. Palacios Pétalos, Verónica Ortega’s Quite, or César Márquez’s Parajes.

These wines, sourced from various subregions, represent incredible value for wine enthusiasts while showcasing the rich diversity of Bierzo’s winemaking potential. The diversity of its terroir, coupled with commitment and care, enables producers to craft wines that reflect the region's rich heritage and character.

– Jacobo García Andrade, Senior Editor

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated by the JamesSuckling.com team. You can sort the wines below by vintage, score and alphabetically by winery name. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.