For part two of this deep dive into Rioja Alavesa, Ferran focuses on the forward-looking Bideona, about which he says, ‘I am convinced that in a very short time it will count among the top of the top wines of the Rioja Alavesa, and, consequently, of Spain.
Part two: Bideona
Andreas Kubach MW clearly remembers the wines he tasted on his first trip to Rioja Alavesa 30 years ago. ‘I still remember the purity of fruit in the wines from that trip. Wines that, even when tasted raw, seemed ready to go on the market, with a soft, round texture’, he says.
The Rioja Alavesa subregion represents just 20% of the total DOCa Rioja, with 11,000 ha (27,200 acres), of which 60% were planted before 1980. The other 40%, however, were deeply affected by the introduction of very productive clones in the 1980s, as well as land consolidation. As a result, the overall quality of the region’s wine declined.
