When discussing the great wines of Raúl Pérez, it's inevitable to think of projects like Ultreia, La Vizcaína, or El Pecado. However, there is a white wine that holds a very special place in his career and, over time, has become one of the most admired references in Spanish wine: Sketch.

It is not a conventional Albariño. Nor was it created with the intention of becoming a high-production or mass-distributed wine. From its beginnings, it was conceived as a very personal project, made from old Albariño vines located in the heart of Val do Salnés, the most Atlantic and traditional subzone of Rías Baixas.

Its objective was to demonstrate that this variety could offer much more than young and aromatic wines. In Raúl Pérez's hands, Albariño takes on a completely different dimension: depth, texture, minerality, aging potential, and a marked identity linked to the landscape from which it originates.

Sketch is part of Raúl Pérez's so-called Author Projects, a collection of very limited productions born from exceptional vineyards and a philosophy based on minimal intervention. Manual harvesting, spontaneous fermentations with native yeasts, prolonged aging on lees, and absolute respect for the character of each vintage are some of the principles that define this wine.

Over the years, Sketch has attracted the interest of some of the world's most influential critics. Several of its vintages have received between 95 and 96 points from Luis Gutiérrez for The Wine Advocate, solidifying its position among the great Spanish white wines and establishing it as one of the most unique interpretations of Albariño.

But the wine's quality is only part of its story. The origin of its name, its connection to one of London's most prestigious restaurants, the proximity of its vineyards to the Atlantic Ocean, and the well-known underwater aging experiments have all contributed to making Sketch a wine surrounded by curiosity and, at times, numerous myths.

In this article, we will explore its history in detail, contrasting information published by the winery itself, specialized critics, and various documentary sources. We will discover where Sketch truly originates, how it is made, what makes its vineyards so special, the true story of the bottles submerged in the estuary, and why it is now considered one of the most exclusive and coveted Albariños on the international scene.

More than just a wine, Sketch represents a way of understanding viticulture where landscape, time, and respect for nature are always above any commercial trend. This philosophy, shared by Raúl Pérez since the beginning of his career, explains why each bottle has become a small work of craftsmanship capable of moving both enthusiasts and some of the best sommeliers in the world.

The story of Sketch: the London restaurant that gave the wine its name

Few Spanish wines owe their name to a restaurant. In the case of Sketch, the story begins far from the Galician vineyards, at 9 Conduit Street, in the exclusive London neighborhood of Mayfair.

Opened in 2003 by Algerian restaurateur Mourad Mazouz alongside renowned French chef Pierre Gagnaire, Sketch was conceived with a very different idea from that of a conventional restaurant. Its creator wanted to bring together gastronomy, contemporary art, design, and music in one space, making each visit a creative experience. The building, an elegant 18th-century Georgian house, was transformed into a series of rooms with their own distinct personality, where the decor changes over time and art is part of the place's identity.

The gastronomic proposal quickly became one of the most prestigious in Europe. The Lecture Room & Library, led by Pierre Gagnaire, earned its first Michelin star in 2005, its second in 2012, and its third in 2019, solidifying Sketch's position as one of the great temples of international haute cuisine.

It was in this environment that Raúl Pérez found a space that shared his way of understanding wine.

In the early 2000s, the winemaker from Bierzo was already known among some of the best European sommeliers and chefs for producing wines far removed from any commercial standard. His productions were small, deeply linked to the vineyard, and conceived to express the landscape rather than to satisfy fads or trends. This philosophy naturally connected with the way Sketch built its gastronomic proposal: creativity, authenticity, and a constant pursuit of excellence.

From this relationship emerged one of Raúl Pérez's most personal projects. He decided to produce a very different Albariño from the usual ones and named it after the London restaurant as a sign of recognition and friendship. In time, the wine itself would achieve a fame comparable to that of the establishment that gave it its name.

Far from being a mere symbolic gesture, that name ended up defining the character of the project. Sketch was not intended to become a high-production Albariño or to compete in volume with other Rías Baixas references. It was born as an extremely limited production, aimed at an audience looking for unique wines, with personality and the ability to evoke emotion from the first sip.

Over the years, both the restaurant and the wine have followed parallel paths. While Sketch solidified its position as a global benchmark in contemporary gastronomy, Raúl Pérez's Albariño became one of the most coveted labels among collectors, sommeliers, and wine enthusiasts, demonstrating that the collaboration between cuisine and viticulture can lead to projects capable of transcending far beyond a simple wine list.

The vineyard: where Sketch's personality is born

If there is one element that defines Sketch's identity above any winemaking technique, it is the vineyard. Raúl Pérez has always maintained that a great wine is born in the vineyard and that the work in the cellar should be limited to complementing what nature offers in each vintage. In Sketch, this philosophy reaches one of its highest expressions.

The grapes come from old Albariño vines located in Val do Salnés, the historic and most Atlantic subzone of the Rías Baixas Designation of Origin. According to information provided by the winery itself, the vineyard is located in Dena, belonging to the municipality of Meaño (Pontevedra), an area where Albariño cultivation has been part of the landscape for generations.

These vines, over fifty years old, naturally produce a very small quantity of grapes. Over time, a deep root system has developed, allowing the plant to explore different layers of soil in search of water and nutrients, providing the wine with greater complexity and a more precise expression of the terroir.

The soil is mainly composed of altered granite and granitic sands, materials very poor in organic matter but with excellent drainage. This composition forces the vine to strive for survival, limiting its vigor and favoring small, highly concentrated clusters. It is precisely this type of soil that provides one of Sketch's most recognizable hallmarks: its marked mineral sensation and its characteristic saline finish.

The proximity of the Atlantic Ocean plays a fundamental role in the wine's personality. Sea breezes soften temperatures throughout the year, reduce thermal contrasts, and promote slow and balanced grape ripening. The high environmental humidity and the constant influence of the sea allow for the preservation of extraordinary natural acidity, one of the pillars upon which Sketch's longevity is built.

As is common in this area of Galicia, the vines are cultivated using the traditional pergola system, raising the canopy over granite structures. This method improves the aeration of the clusters, facilitates uniform light exposure, and helps reduce the incidence of humidity-induced diseases, an especially important aspect in an Atlantic climate.

Viticulture is carried out with profound respect for the environment. Raúl Pérez prioritizes manual work in the vineyard and constant observation of each plot, convinced that each vintage must express the climatic conditions that have marked it. He does not seek uniformity between harvests; on the contrary, he believes that the differences between years are an essential part of the wine's personality.

This combination of old vines, granitic soils, Atlantic influence, and low yields explains why Sketch possesses a personality so distinct from most Albariños. Its profile is not built solely on fruit or freshness, but on a structure capable of evolving for many years in the bottle without losing tension or balance.

Even before entering the winery, much of Sketch's identity is already written in these small plots of Val do Salnés. It is there, among the granite, the sea breeze, and vines that have survived for decades, where the story of one of Spain's great white wines begins.