Red

Organic / Biodynamic

The review is on the previous vintage.

91+ points Wine Advocate
The 2022 Lagrimas de Bhilar Graciano managed to keep the moderate alcohol and freshness in a warm year like 2022. It was produced with grapes from younger vineyards, fermented in concrete and matured in 8,000-liter oak vat. It's aromatic, herbal, spicy and minty, very showy, juicy and with a soft mouthfeel. Delicious and easy to drink. 10,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2023.

Organic

Capitan Fanegas is the personal project of Mario Ruiz-Clavijo from the historic Bodegas Marques de Arviza in Rioja. The philosophy behind the Capitan Fanegas wines is to make single vineyard expressions of Rioja that reflect and express the sites they come from. The wines are vinos de author; unique representations that are true to the Rioja style.

For 6 months the wine is aged over fine lees. After it was racked to remove the sediments and lees. Then the wine was aged for an extra 12 months without any racking and no sulphur added until bottling giving a total aging in concrete of 18 months. The philosophy is to age the wine with a a hands off approach to avoid oxidation, because Graciano is an easy oxidative variety. Aging in concrete tank gives the wine and extra refinement. Porosity provides a very interesting evolution to the wine like the micro oxygenation in the barrel, but without added flavor or added aromatic impact. With this process, the evolution and maturity of the fruit of the wine is enhanced and helps to maintain the purity of the Graciano character.

It’s aromas of red and black fruits, floral and some spicy notes, are typical of the Graciano variety. Also, some hints of leather, tabaco, iron, licorice and other tertiary notes given naturally by the variety. The palate is fleshy, powerful, tasty, and spicy with a long and very elegant finish. The tannins on this wine are big but elegant. Due the hands off process we use during aging, we highly recommend decanting the wine prior tasting.

90 points James Suckling
Very dark on the nose, with lots of raw spices, charcoal and some green peppercorns on top of the blackberries. Very full-bodied and spicy. Almost a bit monolithic, despite the fine-grained tannins. Quite a unique style

Organic

92+ points Wine Advocate
The first wine they produced in 2007 is now the current 2023 Graciano, produced with grapes from different vineyards in the village of Corella in a zone with more Mediterranean influence, crafted in an approachable and fresh style with the local typicity, produced with very soft pump-overs. It fermented in 10,000-liter stainless steel vats with a soft extraction and matured in French oak barrels of different sizes for nine months. It has a nose of ripe berries, quite primary, and is fruit-driven with some honeyed undertones, herbal and balsamic. It has good ripeness, 13.3% alcohol, a pH of 3.40 and 5.35 grams of acidity, along with a juicy palate with very fine tannins.

The high-acid Graciano is the last one of their grapes to be harvested, in their vineyards around the village of Corella. Following a light maceration the wine ferments in steel. 25% of the wine is racked into French oak for malolactic, the rest happens in steel. The wines were blended and stayed 9 months on their lees in French barrels.