Region: Rioja Alavesa, Spain

Varietal: 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 5% Viura

Tasting notes: Rich and dark on the nose with aromas of hedgerow fruit and morello cherries. Bringing aromatics of dried thyme, rosemary and cloves, and a garnet tone to the appearance. Dense black fruit on the palate, evolving into blueberry, strawberry, cherry and black pepper in the glass. Structured with fine-grade tannins and refreshing acidity; the finish is clean and persistent.

Producer: One of my favorite wineries, Bodegas Bhilar is a boutique winery located in Elvillar, Rioja Alavesa, run by husband and wife team, David Sampedro and Melanie Hickman. Their goal is to make terroir-driven wines with soul, respect the land, work only with indigenous grapes, and to share their unique wines with good people with positive energy.  The winemaker and viticultor, David Sampedro Gil, grew up in the same vineyards he works today. While earning his masters in enology, David started his career working in some of the larger wineries in Rioja. There, he realized that great wines are made in the vineyard. A realization that changed his path in life, he returned to his vineyards and started new projects reflecting his personal winemaking philosophy; unique wines that reflect a sense of place, sustainable agriculture, and minimal intervention in the winery. Bhilar is Elvillar in the Basque language.

Vineyard and Winemaking: A village wine from Elvillar de Álava. The grapes are sourced from young, Biodynamically farmed vines with an average of 30 years of age. The vineyards are dry-farmed bush vines in calcareous clay soils. The grapes are harvested manually and immediately transported to the winery where they are destemmed and placed in concrete tanks. Spontaneous fermentation starts with native yeast and without temperature control allowing the process to occur naturally. Once finished, the wine is pressed and placed into French oak of different capacities where it aged for 12 months.