Phinca Lali

Vignoble : Vin issu d’une petite parcelle exceptionnelle plantée en 1915 sur un versant orienté nord-est situé à Elvillar, Rioja Alavesa.

Appellation : DOCa Rioja (sous-région: Rioja Alavesa)

Cépages : 85% tempranillo et 15% viura.

Récolte et production : Vendanges manuelles et transport en caisses de 10 kg. La majorité des raisins sont égrappés (70%) directement au-dessus de barils de 500 L. Le foulage se fait à pied pour extraire le moût et les fûts sont fermés pour permettre une fermentation (sans ajout de levure externe) et une macération naturelles. Une fois la post-fermentation terminée, le vin est pressé et mis en fûts de 500 L où il y restera pendant 2 ans pour permettre une lente conversion malolactique naturelle. À compter du millésime 2013, David a opté pour une maturation de 3 ans en fûts de 225 litres.

Critiques :

Millésime 2016

• Phinca Lali is my favourite of David Sampedro’s current crop of red wines, sourced from a single site planted on limestone soils in 1910. Aged in new 500 litre barrels, it has a winning combination of density and freshness, with subtle struck match reduction, chalky minerality, fine-grained tannins, some clove spice and layers of red berry fruit.
  Drink 2022-31.
  95 pts — Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2020

Millésime 2014

• The balsamic nose of the 2014 Phinca Lali is unmistakable, with a Barolo Chinato-like notes, and it’s from extremely old Tempranillo vines with some 10% white Viura. It’s all about macerated herbs, wild plants, flowers and spices. There are some notes reminiscent of nuts. It has a distinct profile, which comes back on the palate, where it has tannins fine and good freshness. From 2014 onward, all of the wines are organically certified, and they work in biodynamic farming but are not yet certified. Only 924 bottles were filled in January 2019.
  93 pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate #243 (June 2019)

Millésime 2013

• Phinca Lali is the source of David Sampedro’s oldest vines, planted as a 0.6-hectare parcel in 1910 and producing a mere 990 bottles in 2013. Fermented with 50% stems, this wine is denser and more tannic than Phinca Abejera, with intense, meaty, bloody flavours, muscular tannins and a chalky frisson. Drink 2021-30.
  96 pts — Tim Atkin, Rioja Report 2018
• The other single-vineyard red, the 2013 Phinca Lali, is named after David’s mother. It’s sourced from a 0.54-hectare, north-facing plot that is quite isolated and, therefore, very apt for biodynamic farming, and there are very few neighbors. It’s mostly Tempranillo with Viura that were hand destemmed with maybe 30% of the stems making it into the fermentation vessels—open top 500-liter oak barrels—where it fermented with natural yeasts after being foot crushed. It matured in 225-liter oak barrels for three years. It feels a little more oxidative and advanced, earthier, more concentrated and with more tannin; but somehow, I found Abejera to be livelier and fresher, and Lali suffers in comparison. It might be that it needs a little more time… 998 bottles were filled in July 2017.  Drink 2019-2028.
  92 pts — Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate #235 (Feb. 2018)