Wine Advocate 94
"They had not bottled the 2020 Ultreia Saint Jacques yet and were still waiting for the labels (and they label the day after they bottle), so I caught an unbottled sample that was very tender and fruit-driven, primary and quite open. He used more stems and full clusters in 2020, and since 2018, they have removed the percentage of white grapes that used to be included in the wine. It's a little more Mediterranean, with aromatic herbs and a more powerful palate. There will be some 120,000 bottles from 2020."

New York Times
"Its always interesting to compare mencas grown in Bierzo in western Spain, with those grown in Ribeira Sacra, a little farther west in Galicia. Its especially interesting when they are made by Ral Prez, a master of menca who makes wine in both places. Ultreia Saint Jacques is his entry-level Bierzo. Grown mostly on clay soils, its fruitier and a little heavier than the more racy Ribeira Sacras, grown on slate soils. Its juicy, spicy and balanced, with a touch of creaminess. Eric Asimov, 12 Wines for Thanksgiving and Beyond (NYT)"

Tasting Notes
"There is a part of the 2020 Ultreia, from grapes grown on slate soils in the Ponferrada zone, that Prez thinks are responsible for a faint animal character in the wine. The rest of the grapes are sourced in Valtuille de Abajo on clay soils. The palate revealed some grainy tannins and a dry finish. 7,000 bottles were filled in June 2020."

The Wine
Village: Valtuille de Abajo
Vineyard: Various
Year of plantation: 1900-1940
Hectares: 5
Soil: Clay
Varieties: Mostly Menca with Bastardo (Trousseau), Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet)
Elaboration: 80 whole cluster fermentation in large oak vats. Macerations of between two and five months. Aging in various vessels: 225L, 500L, foudre and cement. Bottled without fining or filtration.

The Estate
Ral Prez makes wine in several different regions of Spains northwest, but he makes his home (and some of his finest wines) in Bierzo. The wines in the Ultreia series follow the Burgundy model: a pair of entry-level village wines from multiple sites and then a collection of single-vineyard expressions. The majority of these vineyards are located in the village of Valtuille de Abajo, where the Prez family has lived and worked for generations.

Also included under the Bodegas y Viedos Ral Prez label are some wines from outside of Bierzo. His two most coveted (and limited) red wines, El Pecado and La Penitencia, hail from the Amandi zone of the Ribeira Sacra D.O. There are also two wines that correspond to the Tierra de Len D.O., a white from the Albarn grape (not Albario) and a red from Prieto Picudo.

The final wine in this collection is Sketch Albario, undoubtedly Rals most famous bottling. Contrary to popular belief and, indeed, some reports in major media outlets, this wine is not aged underwater. It is, however, one of the finest white wines produced in Spain, and demand for it always outpaces supply.