La Clave is the latest throw of genius Raúl Pérez. Mainly made from vineyards in the Ponferrada region. What is special about this wine is its coupage. Indeed, besides Mencía, half of it consists of Tintorera, or Alicante Bouschet, a grape variety that was widely planted in Galicia and Bierzo after the philloxera. This grape is best known for its dark-coloured flesh, which makes the La Clave darker in colour than the other Raúl wines.
Vinification
Manual picking. Low yields due to old vineyards and gobelet. Grapes fully destemmed, then maceration and fermentation on inox. Then élevage of about 12 months in older French oak barrels. Both viticulture and vinification are completely organic.
Storage potential
Drink as from : 2024
Best moment : 2024-2026
Until : 2028
To serve
In a large glass, you may decant.
Trial analysis
Fairly dark mirror (Tintorera !). Nice red fruit in the nose, interspersed with spicy spices that give it a Mediterranean touch. Nice finish and perfect balance of acidity.
Flavor profile
Wood
None
Aged in wood barrels
Heavily aged in wood barrels
Acidity
Low acidity
Balanced
High acidity
Fruitiness
Low fruitiness
Balanced
High fruitiness
Structure
Elegant
Balanced
Full-bodied