2023 Cesar Marquez Perez Villegas Mencia

Cesar Marquez has Bierzo running through his veins, and is the latest generation of the Perez family to own the leading Castro Ventosa winery in north-western Spain. Growing up surrounded by the region's leading exponents, including a lengthy apprenticeship with one of the world's greatest winemakers, his uncle Raul Perez, has shaped much of what Cesar values in wine. While he still manages the family estate, Cezar started his own venture in 2015, and is already one of the most exciting young prospects in Spain.

Having a deep understanding and access to some of the best vineyards Bierzo has to offer, Cezar focuses on preserving purity and freshness, highlighting the promise Mencia has in the right place when made with attention to detail. Cezar is structuring his line-up of wines in Burgundian fashion, making a broader appellation wine, a village wine, along with several single vineyard offerings. Winemaking is similar on all wines, with grapes partially destemmed and fermented in open barriques, before spending 12 months in old barrels without any racking or top ups before bottling the following winter. These are wines that are not just great examples of Bierzo Mencia, but wines that truly stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest from any region or country.

Villegas is the newest single site Mencia, drawn from centenarian field blend vines on sandy soils in the Villegas lieu-dit of Valtuille, a site long regarded as one of the village's finest. Farmed by Cesar since 2018, it represents a more refined and aromatic expression of Valtuille, bottled separately for the first time in 2023.

Other Reviews....
The new 2023 Villegas is produced with a Mencía-based centenary field blend on sandy soils in a "paraje" that tends to produce more elegant wines. It fermented with 30% full clusters and indigenous yeasts in 1,000-liter containers with 18 days of maceration, and it matured in 500-liter French oak barrels for 12 months. He's been working this vineyard since 2018, three small plots, and in 2023, he decided to finally bottle two of the three plots. 2023 is very good for Villegas, a rainy year for a dry place, and the wine at this ripeness shows great elegance and floral aromas, notes of orange peel (someone said limoncello!), giving it citrus freshness. It comes in at 12.85% alcohol with a pH of 3.71 and 5.23 grams of acidity. It's very elegant and fine-boned and exceeded my expectations. Villegas is a lieu-dit of around 11 hectares, nine of them planted. It could very well be the grand cru from Valtuille. 1,702 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2025. Drink 2026-2037.
98 points
Luis Gutiérrez - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2023 Villegas is Mencía from the eponymous parcel in Valtuille. This fermented with 25% whole clusters and aged for one year in 600-liter barrels. Aromas of pink peppercorn, violet, lavender and rose mingle with soft herbs and a touch of pomegranate. Dry, agile and slightly enveloping, it combines fine tannins and muscle with notable lift. This imparts vibrancy and structure while keeping the palate relaxed. Delicious. Drink 2025-2043.
97 points
Joaquín Hidalgo - Vinous

This is a new wine from this producer. It opens with exceptional aromas of geraniums and a really attractive floral lift, complemented by subtle herbs. There's outstanding balance. Medium- to full-bodied on the focused palate, with delicately delineated ethereal fruit and a fruity, restrained finish. This comes from old vines in this sandy patch of the Villegas lieu-dit. Outstanding. Drink now or hold.
98 points
Jacobo García Andrade - JamesSuckling.com