Bodegas Bhilar Rioja Alavesa Blanco 2022

Description

degas Bhilar is a boutique winery located in Elvillar, Rioja Alavesa, run by husbandand-wife team, David Sampedro and Melanie Hickman. Together, they make terroir driven wines with soul, while respecting the land and working with indigenous grapes. For over 20 years the land has been cultivated organically, biodynamically for 15 of those and in 2014, horses replaced tractors in the vineyards. They have been Demeter certified since 2022. David Sampedro Gil grew up in the same vineyards he works today. While earning his masters in oenology, David started his career working in some of the larger wineries in Rioja. Realising that great wines are made in the vineyard, he returned to his vineyards and established Bhilar, reflecting his winemaking philosophy of making unique wines that evoke a sense of place, using sustainable agriculture and minimal intervention in the winery. Bhilar is the Basque name for his village, Elvillar. Their wines are full of personality and perfectly capture the characteristics of the cool-climate vineyards. In 2020, Tim Atkin MW awarded them Winemaker of the Year.

Vineyards have dominated the landscape of Elvillar for hundreds of years and consequently, this region is known for having some of the oldest vines in Rioja. Its poor soil conditions encourage the vines to penetrate their roots deep into the soils in search of nutrients, producing wines of wonderful complexity. These rocky, limestone soils are woven throughout three valleys running from the Sierra Cantabria Mountain to the River Ebro, giving Elvillar a distinct and diverse viticultural landscape. The vineyards are situated at high altitudes on the hillsides and valleys toward the Sierra Cantabria. This village wine from Elvillar de Álava, is made from vines of just under 50 years of age. The low yielding, bush vines are dry farmed and grown in calcareous clay soils. Organically and biodynamically cultivated the soils are ploughed by horse and the grapes are hand-harvested. A proportion of grapes from a newly purchased vineyard was blended into this wine. Although it follows the same biodynamic philosophy, it is not certified and therefore the Demeter logo does not appear on the label.

The grapes were destemmed and placed in a concrete tank where fermentation started naturally. Following fermentation, the wine was pressed and placed in used 500-litre French oak barrels for eight months, combined with some time in concrete vats, resulting in a harmonious wine

Bhilar Blanco presents a nose that is fresh and aromatic with a slight oxidative note, reminiscent of almond skins and citrus peel. The wine is weighty and complex in the mouth; structured yet surprisingly fresh and aromatic. The acidity balances the wine and leads into a fresh finish