Raúl Pérez is unquestionably one of the most exciting winemakers in Spain. The tiny amounts of wine he produces under his own name that make it to Australia arrive and disappear very quickly each year. While at home in the Bierzo region of Galicia working principally with Mencia, Raúl is also known for the many projects he is involved in further afield that explore different terrors and grape varieties. These are almost always micro in scale and just as hard to come by as his 'own' wines - normally with prices to match! There is one exception: Venta La Vega - an organic, very high-altitude Garnacha Tintorera vineyard in Almansa. Raúl guides the project as oenologist, with none other than José Ángel Martínez from Envínate in place as winemaker. With two of the leading figures in the radical new winemaking movement in Spain at the helm, expectations should be very high!

The 225 hectares of organic vineyards located at the foothills of the legendary limestone mountains of Almansa known as El Mugrón are the largest single planting of the Garnacha Tintorera variety in Europe. This privileged location has abundant water and excellent soil. An altitude of up to 1200 metres encourages the creation of a distinct, dry natural micro-climate that enables the land to be farmed without using any chemical treatments or additives. The Almansa region itself lies about 100 kilometers inland from Valencia and Alicante. Its extreme continental climate of cold winters and hot summers, combined with the well-drained, stony and nutrient poor soils that are ideal for vines, are perfect for the cultivation of intensely bright and lifted reds.