Valtuille Rapolao 2022

Castro Ventosa Valtuille El Rapolao 2022 is a prestigious red from Bierzo, Spain, made by Raúl Pérez's family winery. This "paraje" (single-site) wine is widely recognised for its elegance and intense aromatic profile.

The Wine Advocate
RP 96+

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2022 Valtuille El Rapolao comes from a plot they own, one of their oldest vineyards, planted at higher density, with a position and soil that favour more open, approachable wines in warmer years like 2022, which was also dry. The wine is rounder than in other vintages and easier to enjoy. It fermented with 30% whole bunches, with a 35-day maceration, and aged in used 500-litre barrels for a year. Right now it's a little raw but should improve with more time in bottle. 1,800 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2024.

The Pérez family winery in Bierzo, Castro Ventosa, keeps working on zoning and a plot-by-plot approach to its wines. They're using more and more 500-litre barrels, seeking more finesse and elegance. They make between 200,000 and 300,000 bottles.

2022 was a very hot, dry year, but the wines are much fresher than expected, with a little more alcohol but showing no heat. They're more approachable wines, with structure and juicy fruit. 2023 returns to lower alcohol and lots of elegance, similar to 2021. In years when it rains during harvest — increasingly rare, though it used to be normal — the wines are more delicate; in warmer years they're darker in every sense. The 2022s are open and approachable.

Published: 20 June 2024