In the Bierzo, a fruitful spiritual history is combined with the singularity of the physical context. This particular conjunction strongly attracted Ricardo Pérez and Álvaro Palacios, who arrived in the mountainous area of Corullón in 1999, driven by the desire to highlight its great wine potential.
If, in Roman times, the Bierzo was famous for the rich gold veins of Las Médulas, from the eleventh century the region was known as the Porte de Compostela, the last stage of the pilgrimage to the saint's sanctuary. Monastic orders from all over Europe founded houses along the Camino de Santiago and brought with them new forms of cultural expression, as evidenced by the remarkable Romanesque architecture that remains here until today. . In the exercise of their spirituality, the monks established a precise and wise viticulture.
Mencía vines, a black grape of Atlantic origin, are heirs to the mystical and cosmopolitan character of medieval Bierzo. In the municipality of Corullón, to the west of the central Bierzo valley, Descendientes de J. Palacios owns 27 hectares of vineyards divided into nearly 200 plots, a constellation of small farms of old vines on steep slopes.
Culture is here anchored in the discipline of biodynamics, uniting the organic and the intangible in a permanent quest for definition and purity. It is a process that combines the soil and the vines, the skill and dedication of men, the strength and endurance of horses. And, of course, the peculiarities of a continental climate with distinct maritime influences, such as an annual rainfall of over 800 mm. All of this is reflected in the freshness and fragrance, the fruitiness and energy of the wines, faithfully reflecting the deep wine personality of the Bierzo hills.
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