Phinca La Revilla, blanco
The wine was formerly know as Terca, but some changes in winemaking and a desire to reflect the origin of the grapes led to the name change.
Vineyard: Sourced from an 0.68 hectare plot known as La Revilla which was planted in 1925. The soils in this vineyard contains mainly clay and a some limestone. The higher percentage of clay soil in this vineyard produces more humidity and as a result, yield and very vibrant life-rich soil. Each bush vine viura is held by a stake due to the high prevailing winds.
Appellation: DOCa Rioja (subregion: Rioja Alavesa)
Varieties: 100 % Viura (Various clones)
Harvest and Production: Hand harvested. The grapes are destemmed above 500L barrels and foot crushed. The fermentation takes place with the skin and stems and after fermentation is finished, the wine is pressed and placed in 225L used French oak barrels. The wine then rests on its lees until it is bottled 6 years later. The barrels are not topped up and do not develop flor. Racked once before bottling. Less than 1000 bottles made.
Greatness in a bottle. Recognized as one of the best white Rioja wines. Maybe one of the best whites from Spain !
Reviews:
2015 Vintage
- “Almost 100%”, says David Sampedro of this field blend of Viura with bits and pieces of other varieties. Foot crushed, skin fermented and then aged in un-topped barrels for six years, it’s a brilliant, off-the-wall wine from a winemaker who isn’t afraid to push a few boundaries. “An Oloroso made with Viura” is how he describes it and I know what he means: dense and savoury with umami, nutmeg and toffee apple flavours. Drink 2024-28.
95 pts — Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2024
2013 Vintage
- David Sampedro has a magic touch with white wines, consistently producing something remarkable from this clay-based, 95-year-old, 0.6-hectare vineyard in Elvillar. Waxy, toasty and showing some grip from skin contact, it has flavours of orange zest, saffron, oatmeal and a salty, Sherry-like tang. Drink 2020-25
White Wine of the Year
96 pts — Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2020 - There is no wine from 2012 or 2014, so I tasted the still-unbottled 2013 Phinca La Revilla Blanco, a golden/amber colored white full of notes of pollen and beeswax and a spicy, Jura-like twist. It has a polished palate with some flavors that remind me of some of the old-style whites from Rioja (think Castillo Ygay or Tondonia) with pungent flavors and great persistence. It’s like a modern version of the classical style, matured for a very long time in barrels that are not topped up. This has oxidized slowly in barrel and should be very stable in bottle. It will be bottled in its sixth year. The more I smelled the wine, the more it reminded me of the old Castillo Ygay Blanco. A few weeks later, I retasted the bottled version of it, and it showed a little riper, with notes of quince and yellow plums, quite intriguing. A unique white. There are some 1,000 bottles of this. Drink 2019-2023.
95 pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate #243 (Jun. 2019)
2011 Vintage
- Introduced to the Bhilar range for the first time in 2011, but only recently released, this immediately takes its place among the best wines of the region. Sourced from a 1925 vineyard in (where else?) Elvillar, it’s a blend of mostly Viura with a little Malvasía and Garnacha Blanca. Aromatic and savoury, with yeasty, bready notes, subtle honey and wild herb flavours and a dense, sappy, bone dry finish. After six years in barrel, this is remarkably fresh. Drink 2019-23.
White Wine Discovery of the Year
95 pts — Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2018