Bierzo Wine Region Guide

Winemaking and regional classifications

Young winemakers – and outside investors – continue to flock to this achingly trendy region. Mencía is the star variety here, occupying nearly two-thirds of the total area under vine. According to the DO rules, this enigmatic grape must constitute at least 70 percent of the final blend – in practice, it is often much higher. Cultivated almost exclusively in northwestern Spain (especially in the Galician regions Valdeorras, Monterrei, and Ribeira Sacra), Mencia has only recently become a respected grape variety. In good hands, it reveals fresh fruity notes, smooth tannins, and an enviable reflection of the mineral-rich terroir.

Although known as a wine that shows very well in the first flushes of youth, some Bierzo producers have demonstrated its ability to age; just the right amount of oak can help add structure and depth. Yet too much new barrique will spoil the style. Finally, Bierzo is no one-trick pony: Godello electrifies the palate with its beautiful acidity and moreish tropical fruit.

Meanwhile, the classification of Bierzo wines is a subject of constant debate. An official, DO-sanctioned hierarchy stipulates that Crianzas – red and white – must be aged for at least two years (six of those must be in wood). The Reserva tier requires three years of maturation: 12 months in oak and 24 months in bottle. Yet the highly respected and influential winemaker Ricardo Pérez Palacios has pushed for a more ‘Burgundian’ approach to classifying wines based on terroir and not the length of aging. Unveiled in 2017, this terroir-driven hierarchy allows producers to label their wines as ‘village’ (made in a specific subzone of Bierzo) or ‘paraje’ (wines made from a single plot or area). It has been an enormous and unmitigated success, bolstering the region’s quality credentials and attracting significant attention from critics and journalists. Which, of course, is the name of the game.

Geography and terroir

The vineyards of Bierzo are among the most beautiful in Spain. Located in a northwestern region of Castilla y León, the zone is sheltered by hills from the worst extremes of Galicia’s oceanic climate. It is also a Mecca for history buffs: several isolated villages high in the hills contain pallozas – ancient, pre-Roman stone dwellings thatched with rye. But, of course, what lured in Palacios and his contemporaries was the unique soils: slate and quartzite planted with scores of old vines, many of them centenarians.

It is widely agreed that the most privileged climats (vineyard sites) are cultivated on picturesque slate terraces along the steep slopes of the Sil River valley, some with such marked inclination that mules are used for the grape harvest. At lower elevations, however, the soils contain a great deal of alluvial matter deposited by the river over centuries of erosion. As a result, high altitude plots, rising to almost 1000 meters above sea level, benefit from moderate rainfall and the always welcome diurnal temperature variation (a significant temperature variation between day and night). This is the secret behind Bierzo’s success and growing reputation as Spain’s answer to Burgundy. Today, these exceptional soils produce wines with a grace and finesse rarely glimpsed in the arid plains of Castilla y León. They are extraordinary.

The lowdown

Ricardo Pérez Palacios is nothing if not ambitious. After joining the technical committee of the DO authority in 2014, he set out bold plans to revolutionize how Bierzo promotes its wines. No longer content to classify bottles according to the length of time in barrel, Palacios wanted to take the best elements of Burgundy’s iconic terroir pyramid and make it a part of local wine culture. As it turns out, the regulatory committee agreed! Thus, from the 2017 vintage (the first wines were released a year later), Bierzo labels could mention the village where the vineyards were located, the subregion where the village is situated, or the specific lieux-dit (vineyard site) responsible for the fruit.

The idea was to provide sommeliers and oenophiles with total transparency rather than ‘hiding’ the nuances of terroir and site selection in anonymous brands. So far, the project has been warmly welcomed by the trade, who recognize that consumers increasingly demand authenticity and individuality from their wine choices. More reactionary elements within the region have doubts, but plenty of growers regard this as a seminal moment for Bierzo wines. They continue to push for a delineated Premier/Grand Cru hierarchy in the zone. Will it come to pass? Only time will tell.

Bierzo gastronomy

The gastronomy of northwestern Spain is rooted in history and tradition. Of course, you’ll find cutting-edge Michelin gastronomy in the major cities, but most residents prefer hearty flavors and the uncomplicated joy of seasonal ingredients cooked to perfection. In the case of Bierzo, the Atlantic supplies abundant fresh seafood, while the meseta (central plain) provides rich suckling pig and milk-fed lamb, roasted whole and stuffed with garlic. Mencia served with chuletas (milk-fed lamb chops) is up there with Spain’s greatest culinary experiences—pure, unadulterated heaven.

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