Bodegas Bilbaínas Vendimia Especial 1955 Gran Reserva

Wine: Bodegas Bilbaínas Vendimia Especial 1955 Gran Reserva

Winery: Bodegas Bilbaínas (Haro, La Rioja)
Appellation / Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 70% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha.
ABV: [Not specified]

Winemaking
Grapes sourced entirely from the historic Finca Zaco. The wine initially spent 18 months in large oak vats to complete fermentation and stabilize before racking. It underwent an extensive maturation of 7 to 9 years in seasoned 225-liter American oak barriques, with several manual rackings performed each year. Filtered before bottling. A minimum of 48 months of bottle aging was completed in the winery’s cellars prior to its commercial release.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Reddish-ruby of medium-high depth, showing more extraction than is typical for its peers. Features light sediment at the base of the bottle, orange reflections, and a copper rim. Highly stable color with a marked distinction between the rim and the meniscus.

 

Nose: Displays good intensity - open and expressive. It presents a sophisticated amalgam of noble wood, aromatic coffee, and smoked pepper over a background of wet earth, shaded forest floor (monte umbrío), walnut bark, and humus. Refined and exceptionally elegant, it unfurls slowly as it breathes, revealing notes of reduced red fruit, cherries, dried apricots, candied orange, and a liqueur-like hint of sloe berries.

 

Palate: Broad and savory, showing significant "nerve". This must have been a powerhouse in its youth, possessing great concentration, vibrant acidity, and firm tannins. Everything is generously and precisely placed. It is packed with ultra-ripe fruit and a touch of high-quality sweetness, layered with a patina of spices, fine bitter nuances, and vanillic oak. This Vendimia Especial stands as the antithesis of the estate's old Clarete Fino style. A monumental wine that perfectly captures the essence of classic Rioja in a magnificent vintage.

 

Personal Score: 95
Tasting Group Score: 95