Phinca El Vedao

Vineyard: Sourced from three south-facing terraced plot planted more than 30 years ago at 500m above sea level. At a lower altitude, it is somewhat shielded and provides a good yield. The name of the vineyard, El Vedao, comes from the name of the location of the vineyard near Elvillar. David refers to this wine as a “vinos de paraje”, similar to what is know in France as a “lieu-dit”. Tended by their friend Juan Carlos, this vineyard has been cultivated under biodynamic principles for more than 6 years.

Appellation: DOCa Rioja (subregion: Rioja Alavesa)

Varieties: 100% Garnacha

Harvest and Production: Hand harvested and brought to the winery in 10 kg cases. Fermentation is performed in a 2,000-liter concrete vat, then aged in 400 and 500 liter used (neutral) French oak barrels for 28 months before racking and bottling.

Vintage 2019
Alcohol 14.5%
Residual Sugar 1.2 g/L
Free SO2 20-30 mg/L

Reviews:

2018 Vintage

• I found strong aromas of spices and herbs in the 2018 Phinca El Vedao, which comes from two plots in the El Vedao paraje in the village of
  Elvillar where there’s a lot of Garnacha. It’s 14.5% alcohol but has kept quite high acidity, close to seven grams. It‘s medium-bodied, fine-grained
  and tightly coiled, with a chalky sensation. It fermented with some 40% full clusters in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured in 400- and
  500–liter oak barrels for one year. 2,400 bottles produced. It‘s fresher than the 2016 I tasted last time. Drink 2022-2028.
  91 pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (June 2022)
• Made with Garnacha from three south-facing terraces in the Elvillar cru of El Vedao, this is a comparatively low site at just 450 metres. Concrete fermented before ageing in larger, older barrels, it’s a stony, spicy, semi-natural style with plum and red cherry fruit and a mineral core. Drink 2024-30
  93/100 Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2023

2016 Vintage

• The one pure Garnacha is the 2016 Phinca El Vedao, which has a dark profile, closer to the earthiness of Priorat than the light from Gredos. There are notes of leather, licorice, fountain pen ink and black fruit. There are some fine tannins remaining, but they have been mostly polished by the 30 months the wine spent in 400- and 500-liter oak barrels. It’s meaty and a bit chewy, with ripe fruit and a bitter twist in the finish. 3,060 bottles were filled in December 2019.
  92 pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate (Nov.2, 2020)

2015 Vintage

• The one varietal Garnacha, a grape that’s not that common in the village of Elvillar, the 2015 Phinca El Vedao is from three plots on a south-facing slope at lower altitude, some 500 meters above sea level, where the grape sets and ripens properly. The wine matured in 400- and 500-liter oak barrels for almost two and a half years. It has an expressive Garnacha nose with berry fruit and a floral touch, more in the style of some wines from the north of Navarra than the ones from Aragón. It has the freshness and acidity often linked to the wines from Elvillar. It’s very balanced and complete and has very fine tannins, a chalky texture from the limestone soils and great balance. A step up over the first vintage. 2,070 bottles were filled in April 2018.
  93+ pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate #245 (June 2019)
• El Vedao is a varietal Garnacha, made with fruit from three separate parcels in the village of Elvillar. Whole bunch fermentation adds some stemmy, spicy concentration to the wine, complementing the earthy, savoury, appealingly funky flavours of wild strawberry and the forest floor. Drink 2021-26
  93/100 Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2020

2014 Vintage

• A new vineyard-designated red first produced in 2014 and named after a “paraje” (a quarter) in the village of Elvillar, the 2014 Phinca El Vedao is pure Garnacha from three terraces planted about 30 years ago at some 450 meters in altitude. It fermented in a 2,000-liter concrete vat and aged in four 500-liter oak barrels. It has the Garnacha perfume intermixed with faint balsamic and herbal aromas. It’s tasty and with a serious palate, with fine-grained tannins and an earthy touch. 1,296 bottles were filled in November 2017. Drink 2018 – 2022.
  91 pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate #235 (Feb. 2018)