Akilia - Bierzo / Mario Rovira - Cádiz

Making some of Bierzo's most elegant wines, Mario Rovira organically tends a handful of vineyards in the San Lorenzo district of the region, just south of Ponferrada.  After his training at La Fleur Petrus and Quintessa, Mario set out to find a region with old vines, indigenous varieties, interesting soils, slopes, and a cool climate. After an extensive search, he found the San Lorenzo district of Bierzo. The San Lorenzo district of Bierzo is higher and cooler than where most small producers work. Mario crafts his wines in a highly specific and intentional way, with great thought behind each decision and a focus on minimal intervention - gentle processing, slow and cool spontaneous fermentations, and low SO2.

Akilia Clarete 2023

75% Palomino/25% Mencía from the 80-year-old, 2.5ha Fontairo vineyard.

Clarete refers to an old style of bright, fresh wine historically made in Spain, where red and white grapes are co-fermented together.  Historically the larger portion is red grapes, but this is Mario's ultra-fresh, white-grape-dominant, rendition.

Winemaking:  Hand harvested in small bins.  Spontaneous 25-day carbonic maceration (co-fermented).  Aged for 10 months in stainless tank.  Low total SO2 (51 mg/L).  Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Production: 390 cases (100 cases imported)

Akilia Villa de San Lorenzo Mencía 2022

Mencía with 90% from the 75-year-old Fontairo vineyard and 10% from the 98-year-old Villarín vineyard.

Winemaking:  Hand harvested in small bins.  Spontaneous fermentation in concrete with 20% carbonic maceration with stems in a separate fermenter.  Aged 9 months in concrete (70%) and used French oak (30%).  Low total SO2 (52 mg/L).  Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Production: 1,000 cases

Akilia Villa de San Lorenzo Mencía 2023

Mencía with 90% from the 75-year-old Fontairo vineyard and 10% from the 98-year-old Villarín vineyard.

Winemaking:   Hand harvested in small bins.  Spontaneous fermentation in concrete with 20% carbonic maceration with stems in a separate fermenter.  Aged 9 months in concrete (85%) and used French oak (15%).  Low total SO2 (52 mg/L).  Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Production: 7,000 bottles

Tosca Palomino Fino en Rama 2023

100% Palomino Fino from two of the Sherry Triangle's finest vineyards, Pagos Balbaína and Miraflores.

Winemaking: 7 months in stainless tank under flor. Unfortified. Bottled “en rama” without any treatments (no SO2, fining, filtering, or cold stabilization). Thus, some sediment in the bottle is possible.

Production: 3,200 bottles

RP91 - Akilia Villa de San Lorenzo Red 2022

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Issue Date: June 20, 2024

I previously tasted the juicy and young village red 2022 Villa de San Lorenzo Red last year when it was very recently bottled. It's darker, riper and fruit-driven, denoting a warmer and drier year in the region. It's still primary, with notes of fresh berries and herbs, a juicy texture and 13.5% alcohol. It matured in concrete for four months, and only 10% of the wine spent time in used barriques. 6,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023.

RP92 - Akilia Villa de San Lorenzo Red 2023

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Issue Date: July 10, 2025

The 2023 Villa de San Lorenzo Red is a juicy and young village red where the aim is purity. It comes from two old plots on quartzite and slate soils. It fermented in concrete and matured in concrete, except for 10% of the volume that spent four months in used barrels. It's fruit-driven, aromatic and straightforward, with berry fruit and some aromatic herbs. It comes in at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.4 and 6.1 grams of acidity, the acidity and freshness compensating the ripeness. It's juicy and round, with a gentle mouthfeel. 2,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2025.

RP93 - Akilia Villarín 2022

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Issue Date: June 20, 2024

The red 2022 Villarín Mencía was produced with the grapes from one hectare of 96-year-old vines on quartzite and slate soils, and it fermented in concrete and matured in used 228-liter barrels for seven months. It’s ripe and a bit heady, hitting the scale at 14%, with floral and perfumed notes, wild berry and herbs and integrated oak. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with some chewy tannins, tasty, dry and long. 1,790 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023.