Liberty Wines has announced a partnership with Spanish winemaker Raúl Pérez. 

Growing its Spanish portfolio, the wholesaler and importer will add nine wines from Pérez’s 2023 vintage to its portfolio. 

Known as one of the leading producers in Bierzo, Pérez has played a key role in Spain’s wine revolution. 

He owns 80ha of vineyard across the Bierzo region and works primarily with the Mencía grape. He also vinifies local grapes including Alicante Bouschet, Trousseau, Godello, Palomino, Malvasia and Doña Blanca. 

In the winery, Pérez is known for taking a minimal-intervention approach, embracing the regional tradition of co-fermentation and fermenting each plot separately with indigenous yeasts. 

For red wine, Pérez uses whole-bunch fermentation and extended maceration, without punch-downs or pump-overs. Meanwhile, for the whites, there is no bâtonnage, and malolactic fermentation rarely takes place. The wines are left to age in neutral barrels. 

Lucy Perbellini, Liberty Wines portfolio director, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Raúl Pérez, who epitomises all that is exciting about the Spanish wine scene and is widely considered to be one of the world’s most fascinating, talented and restless winemakers.  

“A pivotal figure in the ‘New Spain’ movement, Raúl’s energy, passion and curiosity has inspired a new generation of winemakers in Bierzo and beyond.  

“From his great-value ‘Saint Jacques’ – a fantastic introduction to the range – to the single-site wines in both La Vizcaína and Ultreia projects, Raúl creates wines with real personality. Raúl Pérez sits perfectly in our portfolio.”