Having only been a Denominación de Origen since 1989, Bierzo is a relatively new wine appellation but it is blessed with some remarkable old vineyards and it was these that attracted the legendary Priorat winemaker, Alvaro Palacios, to the region. Alongside his nephew, Ricardo Perez, he founded Descendientes de J. Palacios in 1998, and together they have rapidly gained an incredible reputation for their fragrant and elegant wines made from the local variety, Mencia. La Faraona is a single vineyard wine regarded as their ‘grand cru’ cuvée and it sees the addition of 3% of white grapes. 2015 was a superb vintage and this is a phenomenal release of extraordinary aromatic complexity. Intense wild red fruits, pretty floral highlights, wonderful mineral depth and exceptional winemaking precision, it really has it all. Only 597 bottles were produced.