barbuVINS Newsletter

barbuVINS News

Time for an update on what is going on at barbuVINS.

We will hopefully have some interesting news in the months to come regarding new producers that we will represent. For those following us on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter, you may have guessed there is something new coming our way. Indeed, we will be introducing the wines from Luis Moya Tortosa this fall.

If you use social media, remember to follow our news stream and recommend to your friends to do the same. Even better, engage with barbuVINS by posting your comments and pictures. That would be a great way to support us… aside from buying our wines.  Who knows, maybe we’ll have a promotion for best picture featuring one of our wines?

As the holiday planning season will already (!) be starting soon, remember that barbuVINS will surely have something for you if you need wine for your office party or for corporate presents.

Bodegas Bhilar | David Sampedro Gil:

Many of you have jumped on the opportunity to finally have access to the wines from David Sampedro at Bodegas Bhilar. David is a rising star in Spain, especially in Rioja, and his wines are earning critical acclaim all over the world.

Aside from the products we still have in inventory, we are expecting a few cases of the PhincaLali and Phincas. The PhincaLali cuvée is made from Tempranillo sourced in a standout single plot planted in 1915. It’s quite spectacular... and in very limited quantity.

Here are some comments from Tim Atkin and Thomas Matthews regarding the Terca and Phinca Abejera wines from Bodegas Bhilar. There are more on the barbuVINS website:

Terca comes from a parcel called El Revilla in El Villar, planted in 1954 and made from Viura with 10% Malvasia. Spicy and sensitively oaked, it’s tighter and more focused that the winery’s Thousand Mils with pithy, focused acidity and refreshing palate length. 2017-22.
Selected as one of the top white wines of the year.
95 pts — Rioja Report 2017 (TA)

(Terca) This distinctive white is rich and muscular, with light tannins and orange peel acidity supporting dried pear, blanched almond, tarragon and tea flavors. A powerful version of the traditional style. Drink now through 2022. 90 cases made.
93 pts — Wine Spectator, May 2017 (TH)

(Phinca Abejera) David Sampedro’s top red is a stylish blend of Tempranillo with 40% Graciano and 10% each of Viura and Garnacha, planted in 1932. Made with 100% stems and aged in old wood, it’s typical of the bodega’s style: spicy, fruit-driven and reflecting its terroir. The tannins are beautifully articulated here. Drink 2018-23.
94 pts —Rioja Report 2017 (TA)

Phinca Abejera is selected as one of Spain’s Top 100 Wines of 2016, ranking at #51.
94 pts — James Suckling, Dec. 2016.

 It’s time to get your hands on these gems as inventory is already quite low.

Luis Moya Tortosa

Now, that’s something to look forward to later this year.

As we were planning our last trip to Spain, I prepared a list of wineries to visit. One was more complicated to include on our itinerary as there was no winery yet for this producer. We thought that maybe a local wine shop could help, so we went to Honestus in Pamplona. What a find. Owned by Rafael Velázquez Goya and Alberto Rodriguez Cota, they have an extensive variety of wines from Navarra. Even better, they know every single local producer. When we enquired about Luis, Alberto giggled and he said “he lives around the corner from here, so when I run out of his wines, I give him a call and he drops in a couple of cases”.

Needless to say, we bought a bottle of the Masusta and Urbanita for later consumption. We were stunned by the wines and Marie-Claude was clear in her instructions: “this has to be on our list”. I barely had the chance to utter “yes dear” that I was on the phone with Luis. He’s a passionate oenologist with many projects to make ends meet. His dream is to build a winery and given the quality of what he makes, I’m sure he will pull it off.

Coming our way (Canadian premiere !) are the Masusta, Urbanita and latest bottling, Kimera. Check out our website for more details. For now, let’s just say that like David Sampedro (Bodegas Bhilar) and Jorge Navascues Haba (Pago Aylés), he believes in non-intervention biodynamic vineyard management and winemaking.

If you plan a trip to Spain and plan on visiting Pamplona, stop by Honestus:
https://www.facebook.com/honestusbuenodeverdad/
http://www.honestus.es/