Cesar Marquez Perez: Villegas 2023

Cesar Marquez Perez: Villegas 2023

Weinclub

Limitiert

Zum Winzer

Mencia 85%, Garnacha 8%, Diverse 5%, Bastardo 2%
rot, trocken
13,0% Vol.
Trinkreife: 2028–2054
fruchtbetont
seidig & aromatisch
Lobenberg: 98+/100
Parker: 98/100
Suckling: 98/100
Tim Atkin: 100/100
Galloni: 97/100
Spanien, Bierzo
Allergene: Sulfite,
lobenberg

Heiner Lobenberg über:
Villegas 2023

98+
/100

Mit dem 2023er Villegas hat César Marquez erstmals eine seiner Top-Parzellen separat vinifiziert und als neuen »Grand Cru« seines Projekts herausgebracht. Er stammt von einer kleinen, nur elf Hektar großen Parzelle mit über 100 Jahre alten Reben, die auf sandigen Böden in Osthanglage wachsen. Die kühle und regnerische Witterung des Jahres hat dem Villegas eine einzigartige Frische verliehen. In der Nase zeigt sich ein atemberaubendes, florales Bouquet von Veilchen und Wildrose, das sich mit einer klaren, roten Frucht von Erdbeere, Himbeere und frischen Kirschen mischt. Begleitet wird das Ganze von einer feinen Würze nach weißem Pfeffer und Thymian, unterlegt von einer kühlen Mineralität, die an feuchte Erde und Kalkstein erinnert. Am Gaumen setzt sich diese beeindruckende Komplexität fort. Voller Finesse und aromatischer Raffinesse. Der Wein präsentiert sich mit einer feinen, geschliffenen Textur, die von einer lebhaften und perfekt integrierten Säure getragen wird. Er ist leicht, flüssig und lebendig, mit einem anhaltenden Abgang, in dem die rote Frucht und das mineralische Gefühl nachklingen. Die feingliedrigen Tannine sind samtig und unterstützen eine zarte, aber dennoch druckvolle Struktur. Dieser Mencia ist ein Paradebeispiel für die Finesse und aromatische Raffinesse, die César Marquez aus den besten Lagen in Valtuille herausholt. Eine kleine Sensation!

Jahrgangsbericht

Der spektakuläre Jahrgang 2023 gilt in Spanien als Meilenstein der Eleganz. Deutlich balancierter als 2022, präsentieren sich die Weine als reife, ungemein harmonische Version von 2020. Sie bestechen mit einer steinigen Reduktion, atemberaubender Sauberkeit und einer präzisen Symmetrie von absolutem Weltrang.

98
/100

Parker über: Villegas

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.

98
/100

Suckling über: Villegas

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.

100
/100

Tim Atkin über: Villegas

After six years of experimentation, this is César’s first release from the Villegas paraje, and what a debut! Intensely floral, with rose petal and talc, it has an ethereal precision without losing the weight and substance of the Valtuille vineyard. Fermented in large old oak with 30% whole bunch, it is vibrant and elegant with a flicker of pomegranate, and is beautifully framed by woody spice following 12 months aging in 500L barrels. It is a pure and seamless interpretation of the Bierzo valley floor with that rare ability to provide immediate delight, yet built with serious foundations to last.

97
/100

Galloni über: Villegas

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.

Verkostungsnotiz

Weingut über: Villegas

After many years of vinifying each Valtuille plot separately, it is in 2023 that the Villegas plot is bottled to create a new wine from the project. Villegas is one of the Grand Crus of Valtuille. In this place in the village we find a sandy beta on which our vineyards are planted. This sloping place with east orientation and sandy soils allows us to obtain the most elegant and different wines of Valtuille, very floral on the nose. Villegas as a place follows the path of El Rapolao, because several winemakers are already bottling their own plots separately. After a dry 2022 throughout Spain, 2023 began with a very cold, rainy winter with strong winds, like those of our childhood. Frost and cold days lasted until spring, which advanced with warm days, threatening an early bud break. After a warm and rainy May, temperatures dropped again in June. Then came more rains and thunderstorms along with some very hot days. This weather made us especially vigilant to avoid the appearance of mildew. July and August were characterized by moderate temperatures. In September the grape harvest began, with plenty of grapes but not very large bunches. It was a vintage like the ones of yesterday; the rains made us harvest many days with waterproof suits. A year with a rainfall of almost 900 litres/m2 has given us wines with more fluidity, reminding us of the 2001 or 2021 vintages. Fresh, floral and more delicate wines than the previous vintage. We picked the grapes manually, putting them to ferment in 1.000 liters containers, with a 30% whole grapes. The grapes are gently stepped on, so that a part of the grapes remains whole in the fermentation, which is carried out spontaneously by the yeast itself without adding any other. The maceration was carried out during 15 days in which the work of each day consisted of sinking daily the cap a bit with the hands. After 15 days, the bleeding and pressing is done, to let it settle for 7 days; after them, it is placed in a barrel and left to rest for 1 year.

Mein Winzer

César Márquez

César Márquez ist der Neffe des langbärtigen Bierzo Überflieger Winzers Raul Perez. Der talentierte junge Mann braucht den Vergleich aber nicht zu scheuen, denn er ist selbst bereits eines der aufsteigenden Talente in der spannenden spanischen Weinszene. César studierte zwar 2007 Önologie an der Uni...

Villegas 2023