Anyone who has dabbled in Spanish wine would have come to know about Álvaro Palacios, who has established himself as a defining personality of Spanish wine in a short span of 20 years. The Palacios family has been making wine in Rioja for 350 years, but Álvaro made his name in Priorat, becoming one of the most prominent advocates of the region, known for its old Garnacha vines. His endeavours in Priorat are centred around a village called Gratallops, and his purchase of his famed L’Ermita vineyard is perhaps the most telling indicator of his understanding of the region.

Following his father’s passing in the year 2000, Álvaro returned to his family winery in Rioja and implemented sweeping changes to improve the quality of their wines so as to distinguish themselves from the mass-produced wines. Building on his success in Rioja and Priorat, Álvaro set his sights on other lesser-known regions of Spain and in 1998, started a joint venture in Bierzo with his nephew Ricardo Pérez, focusing on shining the spotlight on Mencía. With Rioja and Priorat dominating the Spanish wine scene, one might be tempted to think that Bierzo is a lesser region, and Álvaro’s wines from the village of Corullón, produced under the Descendientes de J. Palacios label, will surely change that view.

The 2021 vintage turned out to be an extremely challenging vintage for Álvaro Palacios, who faced intense snowstorms in Rioja and Priorat, and heavy rain in Bierzo that made it difficult for grapes to ripen. These difficult conditions necessitated strict selection that reduced yields to painfully low levels, but for the grapes that made the cut, they delivered handsomely, as scores below clearly show.