The Value of this Charismatic $15.79 Raúl Pérez Gem Defies Logic!

When it comes to wrestling incredible levels of flavor, energy and intensity from seriously old vines in remote wine regions of northwestern Spain, there is no one better than Raúl Pérez.

While we are deeply familiar with his work in the Bierzo region, we have only just now been turned on to his even more under-the-radar wines in León. Unbeknownst to us, he has quietly been crafting wines there for nearly 20 years.

Using vines of 90 to 120 years of age, he made today's full-flavored, charismatic and easy-to-drink red from the Prieto Picudo grape, a varietal that is fun to pronounce and even more fun to drink. Selling for just $15.79, it is a high-energy combo of wild, sappy fruit, spice and bright floral notes from the rugged, low-yielding hillsides of Spain at a price that defines logic!

Read on for this gem from Raúl (pictured above during a visit he made to our Elston Avenue store earlier this year), and for a pair of gorgeous Grüners from Austria's acclaimed Wachau region. As always, simply click the Big Green Button to secure your supply of these incredible finds.

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2021 Bodegas Margón "Primeur" Prieto Picudo
León, Castilla y León, Spain
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Prieto Picudo is a grape that is fun to say, and even more fun to drink. Of this bottling from the legendary Raúl Pérez, our notes say: “Like a medium-weight Gigondas with its finger in the electric socket!”

Delivering wild and intense flavors of red currants, fresh blackberries, wild strawberry and herbed balsamic, the 2021 Primeur combines vitality and deliciousness impossibly well for the money.

Full of soul, this versatile 14% ABV red is made with just the right amount of oak, allowing it to be more than enough wine for any red meat at the table, and friendly enough to be a real treat on its own.

While maintaining a fantastic drinkability, this intensely perfumed red is broader shouldered than his wines from Bierzo, and we REALLY love it. Pop the cork, give it 20 minutes to breathe and you are good to go!

Looking online we found four listings with a median of $19. While today's price beats each of those listings, this would still be a whopping bargain even at twenty bucks.

The only bummer is our supply. We have less than 30 cases available today, and once this beautiful red is gone, it's GONE!

Vin Chicago Price: 15.79

A Profound 95-Pointer and a Perfectly Pleasant Patio Pounder from Domäne Wachau!

Perched over the river Danube, the views of the Wachau’s steeply terraced vineyards take a backseat to none of the wine world’s most dramatic terrain. It is here that Grüner Veltliner hits its apogee, expressing its distinct charm and range of expression while maintaining absurdly affordable price points.

Today, we bring you two wines from from Domäne Wachau that represent the incredible diversity of this great grape’s personality and style: an incredibly affordable and invigorating Federspel ($13.99), and an elegant, deeply concentrated Smaragd ($38.99). While very different in style and character, both of these dry whites will knock your lederhosen off!

2024 Domäne Wachau "Terrassen"
Grüner Veltliner Federspiel
Wachau, Austria
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Hand-picked fruit from steep terraced vineyards deliver this unreal Austrian white wine value. A supple initial attack leads the way in this svelte-framed wine, with notes of green apple, quince, white pepper, mango and lime pith. 

Vibrant palate freshness is delivered by good fresh acidity, making this a wonderful dinner table white that is great for anything from fried appetizers to Capellini with lemony shrimp, capers and blistered tomato.

Vivifying, refreshing and true, it is everything we want in a daily drinker white wine!

“Melon, pears and peaches on the nose of this juicy white. It’s light- to medium-bodied with excellent clarity and freshness. Drink now. Screw cap.”
          - 90 Points, James Suckling (7/9/2025) 

On the ultra-competitive eastern seaboard, this wine is typically $17 to 20 per bottle. In Chicago, you'll pay less!

Vin Chicago Price: 13.99

2022 Domäne Wachau "Achleiten"
Grüner Veltliner Smaragd
Wachau, Austria
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Those familiar with the fun, lighter-bodied style of Grüner, like the Terrassen Federspiel above, may be in for a shock when they taste the dense, long, fleshy qualities of a Grüner bearing the vaunted Smaragd designation.

It’s a shock that these incredible wines still fly below the radar of many wine lovers as, with their layers of dense, peppery, smoky, juicy joy, they are incredible values compared to the other great whites of the world from Burgundy, Northern Rhône and beyond.

“The 2022 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd is still shy on the nose. Mere glimpses of yeast, juicy yellow stone fruit and peppery verve only tease with brief appearances. The palate, however, is alive with white pepper, concentrated, tingling, chiseled and taut. This will take time to come out of its shell, but the promise of orange zest, pear flesh and even more white pepper is there. This is a powerful, elegant wine from this near mythical site. (Bone dry). Drinking Window: 2027 - 2050.
          - 95 Points, Vinous - Anne Krebiehl MW (11/2023)

This 2022 bottling is nearing its peak drinking window, and will drink exceptionally well for MANY years beyond that.

While it sells for twenty-five bucks more, the value here is every bit as impressive as today's $14-$16 bottling. This is an intense, highly sophisticated, top-flight white and our small supply will go fast!

Vin Chicago Price: 38.99