Bodegas Bhilar Phinca La Revilla Blanco 2015
A truly distinctive Viura with complex and layered nuances of balsamic notes, chamomile and savoury hints through to a textured and beautifully balanced palate with a chalky sensation and long finish.
Due to the diverse landscape of Elvillar, David wanted to showcase a number of vineyards he feels are truly unique and expressive. Each vineyard has its own distinct soil, surroundings, sun exposure and microclimate. This wine pays homage to the potential from this region. The Viura grapes come from a very special, 0.68-hectare single vineyard called ‘La Revilla’, which was planted in 1925. Each vine is driven by a stake and biodynamically farmed, with careful manual cultivation, ploughing by horse and manual harvesting. The structure of these ancient clay and limestone soils can be felt in the glass.
The grapes were destemmed and crushed by foot which started the natural, spontaneous fermentation from yeasts on the skins. The wine was then pressed and transferred to used 225-litre French oak barrels, where the wine matured for six years. The barrels were not topped up and did not develop flor.
| Vintage | 2015 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14% |
| Awards | 95 Pts, Robert Parker, 2024; 95 Pts, Tim Atkin MW, 2024 |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Rioja |
| Subregion | Rioja Alavesa |
| Grapes | Viura 100% |
| Residual sugar (g/l) | 1 |
| Dry/Sweet value | 1 |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Milk | No |
| Eggs | No |
| Organic | No |
| Biodynamic | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Bodegas Bhilar is a boutique winery located in Elvillar, Rioja Alavesa, run by husband-and-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.
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