Cesar Marquez Parajes del Bierzo 2022

STAFF PICKS 2025 - SARA TORRES (PWS SYDNEY)

I couldn't skip to pick a Mencia from El Bierzo this year, as Luis Gutierrez from Parker said: "There have never been better and more interesting wines in Bierzo than there are now." And Cesar Marquez is a name to remember. From Raul Perez's family, Cesar is focused into showing the differences in Bierzo, with parajes (lieu-dieux) at different altitudes (from 500 to 1100 m) and different terroirs. He has tried different approaches to the amount of stems but the priority is to harvest earlier, when the fruit is crunchy, herbal and fresh. The wines are aging in neutral, 600-liter French oak barrels, for 12 months, exactly the same as his single sites (one of them, Villegas 2023, got 100 points from Tim Atkin).

There's a lot of winemaking, old vines (some of them over 100 yo) and terroirs in this entry level wine which worths every penny. If you never had a Mencia, think about a Burgundian style, fruity, herbal, fragrant, with dried flowers and graphitic notes, with fine-grained tannins and long finish.  A splash of Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante bouschet) brings juiciness to the blend. SARA 
 


The 2022 Parajes is the regional red representing El Bierzo, and it's a blend of different places, soils and expositions, from vines at different altitudes, between 450 and 780 meters above sea level. He used less full clusters, as he uses less stems in warmer years, with some 15% this time; part was in stainless steel and part in bins, as he ferments by plot. The wine matured in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels for one year. It's super fine and elegant, fresh and balanced, with moderate ripeness and 13.3% alcohol, a pH of 3.65 and 4.76 grams of acidity. It's medium-bodied, with very fine tannins and great balance. The tannins are round and fine-grained, and the mouthfeel is juicy and tender, reflecting the warmer year. But there's no heat in any of the wines from the year. 32,605 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2024. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

César Márquez Parajes is a coupage of the most prestigious and unique Bierzo plots. Old vines grown as they used to be, without using pesticides or chemicals that can damage the natural balance of the terroir. Each of the plots is worked separately according to their needs and the harvest is carried out manually.

In the winery, 50% of the grapes used to make César Márquez Parajes are destemmed. Then they are pressed in the old-fashioned way, with feet, so that some of them stay whole during fermentation. Fermentation is spontaneous with the grape’s native yeasts. Once the must becomes wine, it is pressed and placed into 225 and 500 litre barrels separately. After 12 months the barrels are emptied and the different wines are combined. DECANTER