Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/723381
september 2016 / the tasting panel / 107 From the "Bowl" of Bierzo The Bierzo DO (Denominación de Origen) is often referred to as the "Gateway to Galicia," as it lies in the northwest corner of neighboring Castilla y León, and sees both Atlantic and Mediterranean influences. Rioja native Ricardo Perez, winemaker at Descendientes de J. Palacios, shares the concerns of the local winemakers at the recent indications of another "Atlantic" growing season. He explains that in Bierzo, it is slightly cooler each year and higher rainfall is considered "Atlantic," while warmer, drier years are "Mediterranean." It rained for almost two weeks straight prior to my arrival in the region. "It's more extreme every year. One year, it's the hottest it's ever been; the next year there's more rain than we've ever had." He points out that the nearly perfect conditions we are having have provided some mental relief, but he expects that the recent climate changes will continue to be temperamental. The region of Bierzo appears as a bowl; from high up on the side of the bowl, you can see each part of the DO. In Corrullón, a large construction site marks the future of Descendientes de J. Palacios, a much larger operation than the current winery in the center of the town of Villafranca del Bierzo. Of the 2015 wines, Perez explains that the fruit endured a decidedly hot "continental" vintage. The largest-production wine, Petalos, includes fruit from across the western edge of Bierzo and exhibits the results of a strong vintage: ample, expressive fruit and plenty of secondary aromas. Moncerbal, made from a single, steep hillside adjacent to the new winery, shows an even more complex side, hinting at the wild herbs and poppies growing alongside the vines. In the village of Arganza, Alfredo Marques and his wife, Elisa, head up the wine team at Viñedos y Bodegas Pitticum. As a native of Bierzo, Alfredo remembers his grandmother, now 107, replanting Mencía after the devasta- tion of phylloxera. He recounted stories from the older people in town of the way things had been before that time, and how long it took to replant. After studying viticulture in Madrid, Alfredo returned home in the 1990s with the idea of recouping some of the older vineyards and restoring quality over Ricardo Perez, Winemaker at Descendientes de J. Palacios in the Bierzo DO. Raúl Peréz, a winemaker who consults all over Bierzo and Galicia.