Bideona Rioja - L4GD4 Viñas Viejas 2021

Bodega Bideona was created to contribute to a new generation of Rioja wines—wines defined more by the precise origin of their grapes than by their method of production.

We currently have the privilege and responsibility of farming 282 small vineyard parcels, averaging just 0.3 hectares in size and more than 50 years of age. Many of these vineyards, planted between 1920 and 1960, represent a unique cultural and biological heritage. At Bideona, we aim to support the sustainability of these historic vineyards and ecosystems of Rioja Alavesa.

Bideona’s Village Wines range holds a central place in our mission to produce Rioja Alavesa wines that genuinely express their origins. Our goal is to reveal the remarkable differences among the winegrowing villages of Rioja Alavesa—differences traditionally well understood by local growers but largely lost during the 20th-century industrialization of modern Rioja, when blending and winery techniques were emphasized over the expression of place.

The character of the world’s great wine regions originates in the places where their grapes are grown, and villages have always played a vital role in defining that identity. We consider it our historical responsibility to restore the importance and individual character of Rioja’s historic villages.

Laguardia has more vineyard acreage than any other municipality in Rioja Alavesa. It is a relatively diverse village, with vineyards planted both near the Ebro River and along the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria.

The old vineyards that compose our Laguardia Village Wine reflect this diversity, although most are more strongly influenced by the Ebro River and the valley’s eastward opening. This climatic influence encourages earlier ripening and makes this the most delicate, approachable, and expressive of our Village Wines.

To better understand the expression of each village, all the wines in this range are made in the same manner. Vinification is kept simple, avoiding any winemaking technique that might conceal or diminish the personality and beauty of each village.

The grapes are harvested by hand into small crates and fermented in small stainless-steel and concrete tanks. Extraction is carried out through gentle manual pump-overs, respecting the expression of the vineyards without over-extracting structure or color.

The type and duration of maturation are determined individually for each vintage. We use a combination of large French oak vessels—both new and previously used—as well as stainless steel and concrete.

The 2021 growing season was magnificent. It began with a cold winter and abundant rainfall. Rain continued through flowering, making fruit set more difficult and often producing loose clusters with well-spaced berries.

The ripening season was warm and dry, benefiting from the ample water reserves accumulated during the preceding months. Rainfall toward the end of ripening divided the harvest into two distinct periods, favoring vineyards that had received precise and attentive care.

Later-ripening areas benefited from this rain, achieving a beautifully balanced maturity among aromatic development, structure, and acidity. Earlier-harvested sites produced fragrant, elegant, and fresh wines.

The 2021 vintage ranks among the great vintages of this century, producing structured wines with precise balance and refined elegance.

Producer: Bideona

Country: Spain

Region: La Rioja

Varietal: Tempranillo

Appellation: Rioja

Vintage: 2021

Size: 750ml