Bideona Rioja - L4GD4 Viñas Viejas 2020

Bideona, from the Basque bide ona meaning “the good way,” represents the next generation of Rioja. Founded in 2018 by Andreas Kubach, a passionate MW raised in Brazil and Spain by German parents, and his partner Sam Harrop MW, a New Zealander, Bideona views Rioja’s capabilities through an international lens. Based in Rioja Alavesa, the smallest and northernmost of Rioja’s three sub-regions located just north of the Ebro River, Bideona defies the narrative that oak-aged Rioja is the sole tradition. In the past few decades, big, oaky Tempranillo has been the calling card of Rioja. Bideona’s focus is different, and mirrors that of a few other key, terroir-focused producers leading the charge towards (or perhaps, back to) pre-industrialization winemaking in Rioja, like Abel Mendoza, Arizcuren, and Artuke. Bideona’s model is to vinify tiny plots of land, about three quarters of an acre or one third the size of a soccer pitch, prioritizing place over process. This philosophy that is taking hold in northern Rioja is the same one that we saw in Piedmont 15 years ago or Burgundy 40 years ago.

Andreas believes that we rarely see terroir in a glass of Rioja because producers have largely prioritized wines of style, focusing on winemaking and aging, rather than wines of place. This creates what he calls a “ceiling of interest” for terroir. Inspired to change this narrative, he and his partners purchased 300 parcels of land in the villages of Villabuena de Álava, Samaniego, Laguardia, Leza, Baños de Ebro, Navaridas, Lanciego and Elciego averaging 0.3 hectares each, with vines averaging over 50-years-old. They were drawn to Rioja Alavesa for its high proportion of historic vineyards planted on hillside terraces, and for its cooler, higher elevation climate and limestone-clay soils that differ from the alluvial, iron-rich soils of Rioja Alta and Oriental. Currently, one third of their vineyards are owned by the winery or their shareholders, another third by the historic suppliers of the winery purchased in 2018, and the last third they have recently incorporated in villages where they did not have a presence. Bideona manages each plot independently according to its quality potential, regardless of its owner.

The grapes were hand harvested in small crates and then manually sorted on a sorting table before being de-stemmed. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations were carried out in stainless-steel tanks via a mix of indigenous yeast and a house cultured yeast strain. Gentle pump-overs were done to maximize personality without high extraction of color or tannins. The wine was pressed off the skins and was sent to a mix of stainless-steel, concrete, new oak, and used oak for 12 months of aging. It was bottled with a coarse filtration and very gentle sulfur addition. No fining.

"The 2020 L4GD4 Viñas Viejas is 100% Tempranillo sourced from Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa. Aged in concrete vats and foudres, this cherry-red wine reveals ripe balsamic notes alongside herbs and black fruits. Dry and silky, with fine-grained tannins, it features a vibrant, refreshing core and a mouthwatering, energetic finish. This is a unique, flavorful, primary Rioja. Also of note, its clever, elusive name subtly alludes to the place without explicitly mentioning it, adhering to the labeling regulations in Rioja." - 94 Points, Vinous

"Spiced strawberries and cherries with touches of hibiscus and minerals. Nimble and bright, with a medium body and fine chalky tannins. Lots of drinkability, but serious and long. Excellent fruit quality. Drink or hold." - 93 Points, James Suckling

Producer: BIDEONA

Country: Spain

Region: La Rioja

Varietal: Tempranillo

Appellation: Rioja

Vintage: 2020

Size: 750ml