History
Álvaro Palacios is the son of Rioja winemakers and comes from two great family dynasties: the Palacios Remondo and the Muro. At just 24 he arrived in Priorat intent on making great classic wines. More than 20 years later, he has become one of Spain's most highly regarded winemakers.
Ricardo Pérez Palacios, Álvaro's nephew, has extensive experience in France, Chile and the United States. He has lived and breathed wine since birth and has visited a huge number of great French producers alongside his uncle.
Today the two share a project: an old stone winery, restored, in Villafranca del Bierzo. But to understand their wines, you first need to understand the Bierzo and the century-old vines they come from.
Today
The winery is now housed in a new building designed by the architect Rafael Moneo, dug into the mountainside and topped by a viewpoint overlooking some of the most special vineyards, such as Moncerbal and Las Lamas.
This singular area lies in a tectonic basin formed by Alpine mountain-building. The mountain soils are slate, while the valley soils are more alluvial. The natural vegetation is mainly scrub, and the climate, a transition between Atlantic and Mediterranean, brings fairly cold winters and summers of moderate heat and dryness.
