Structure

Sweetnessdry
Oakbarrel aged

Drinking window

Best 4 to 18 years from vintage.
vintage4 yrs18 yrs20 yrs

Critic scores

No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating in the header is our own.

What it pairs with

  • Roast lamb shoulder
    Thirty per cent stems in the ferment give a frame that suits slow-roast lamb.
  • Wild boar ragu
    The coolest site in the village produces a wine with the acidity for dark game.
  • Aged Zamorano cheese
    Slow ripening gives the concentration a long-matured cheese asks for.

History

El Rapolao is the coolest site of Valtuille de Abajo, a vineyard of slow ripening that the estate describes as long prized in the village. Estévez ferments the Mencía with thirty per cent stems on indigenous yeasts in open 1,000 litre vats without temperature control, then ages twelve months in 500 litre French oak barrels and a 1,000 litre oval foudre.

Facts

Producer
Estévez Bodegas y Viñedos · visiting guide
Grapes
Mencía
Classification
Vino de Paraje (DO Bierzo)
Oak
Twelve months in 500 litre French oak barrels and a 1,000 litre oval foudre
ABV
13.5%
Price
€32-42 at retail
Drinking window
4-18 from vintage

Frequently asked about Estévez El Rapolao

Where is Estévez El Rapolao made?

In El Rapolao, the coolest paraje of Valtuille de Abajo, a slow-ripening vineyard the estate describes as long prized in the village.

Why do several bodegas make an El Rapolao?

The site is small and divided among many owners, so each works its own parcels and bottles them separately under the same site name.

How long is Estévez El Rapolao aged?

Twelve months in 500 litre French oak barrels and a 1,000 litre oval foudre, after fermentation with thirty per cent stems in open 1,000 litre vats.

What food pairs with Estévez El Rapolao?

Roast lamb shoulder, wild boar ragu, or aged Zamorano cheese.

Tags

cellar worthy dry firm tannin high acid medium body menc a mood contemplative mood savoury occasion cellar occasion special old vines old world pairs with aged cheese pairs with game pairs with red meat price premium single vineyard still red

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