Winners at Bacchus. Spain’s leading wine world event!
No other wine event held in Spain manages to bring together over four days of such a team of wine tasting experts as the Bacchus panel of judges. More than a hundred personalities combining a diverse backgrounds with professionalism and experience. Journalists, winemakers, Masters of Wine, Masters Sommelier, all together creating a wonderful selection of people ready to assess and recognise the quality of wines coming to this event from all around the world.
Almost all the wine regions around the world are choosing Bacchus as its best showcase for its creations. Wines from the 5 continents (Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania) are including year after year some of their fabulous wines into the global appointment that Bacchus represents in the wine world.
And this year 2 of our wines and wineries have achieved important positions wining medals in this event, with Bioca Godello, our favourite Bioca from Bodegas Maria Teresa Nunez Vega wining BACCHUS DE ORO (Gold Bacchus Medal) and our VIÑA MAGNA from Bodegas Dominio Basconcillos wining BACCHUS DE PLATA (Silver Bacchus Medal) at the 2019 competition.
Congratulations t both Bodegas and keep going with your success!
Spain is one of the most important wine making countries in the world. There are vineyards all around the country, but some of the best lie in the north of Spain, which is where the Great RIOJA is located. Located at the north-central Spain the Rioja (named after the River Oja, in Spanish Rio Oja) region has been making wine since the 2nd century BC.
This region got a real boom in the 1860s when Bordeaux experienced an infestation by a pest called phylloxera, which devastated vineyards and wiped out crops. For France was a nightmare but for Spain one of the most amazing dreams in terms of wine.
Philoxera (a pest coming from America) devastated France Vineyards around 1860.
Some of the best winemakers moved from Bordeaux to Rioja and started making incredible Rioja wines using the French style. After this boom the Rioja’s wine quality improved considerable and became Spain’s crown jewel of wine, reaching an international recognition and a publicity that was well deserved.
Rioja’s Sub-Regions
Rioja is divided in 3 sub-regions:
Rioja Alta,
Rioja Alavesa, and
Rioja Baja.
This regions are easy to identify according to the production and weather in each region. In Rioja Alta the weather is cooler with higher altitudes producing full body wines with lots of great fruit. In the other hand, Rioja Alavesa has more sun incidence with high altitudes producing wines with firm tannins and lots of acid. Finally Rioja Baja has a desert-like weather with lower altitudes and produces very alcoholic wines.
Rioja’s grapes
Most of all Rioja red wines are a blend of the Tempranillo, Garnacha (internationally known as Grenache thanks to France), Graciano, Mazuelo and Maturana Tina grapes. Other reds are grown in the Region but are not accepted by the DO Regulator Council, so the wines using different grapes are not labeled as Rioja’s.
White Riojas taste a little like Sauvignon Blanc and are made mostly of the native Viura grape but Malvasía, Garnacha Blanca and Tempranillo Blanco are also accepted. The Rosados (pink) are mostly made from Tempranillo and Garnacha.
Rioja’s Classification
In Rioja there is an internal classification of the wine based in how long the wine has been matured in oak and aged in the bottle. There’s a proportional relationship between age and price, so if you’re going shopping for Rioja this is what you must know:
Joven, Selección o Roble = no oak age or less than a year of oak aging. This wines are more fruity and usually cheaper, but are also really good as the followed the same Rioja standards during the elaboration.
Crianza = at least 1 year matured in oak barrels and at least 1 year aged in a bottle.
Reserva = at least 1 year matured in oak barrels and another 2 years aged in a bottle before release.
Gran Reserva = at least 2 years matured in oak and 3 years more aged in the bottle. This wines are usually mad in great vintage years, so expect a higher price and a great quality if you find one of these as one of your options.
Thanks to the great tradition, extensive work, standards of quality, rules of classification and the great people behind the Rioja wineries, this region has the highest distinction in Spain and is not only a DO (Denominación de Origen), is awarded with the highest DO level in Spain and is known as a DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada or Qualified Denomination of Origen). Only Rioja and Priorat are under this classification, so when you get a Rioja you should expect to get a great wine.
Coupage is a French word that we can translate as blending or mixture. It is a methodology widely used in the wine world for its many technical advantages. With a Coupage, an expert enologist can improve the final quality of the wine and also provide volume and correct any defects or imbalances that the enologist may consider in the mixes.
A Coupage may be early coupage, just after completing the wine fermentation, in which case the expert is building the wine he has in mind or correcting the flavour he wants to obtain. It may also be a late coupage, to correct deviations that could be produced along conservation of the wine in the cellar.
In any case, the goal of the Coupage is to obtain a final wine that is going to be better and stable over time in comparison to the individual wines that are mixed in the process.
This complementarity can be made by:
YOUNG-OLD MIX
This practice is very common in the wine industry, and is usually made to refresh the aromatic profile of the wine, to increase the reactivity of the wine and also to increase the durability. While in flavour terms these corrections are really easy to do, in aromatic terms the mixture is more complex.
STRUCTURE / FAT
This is one of the most interesting mixtures when considering a Coupage. Wines can be harmonious, aggressive or flats based on this pairing. What is important is whether the aggressiveness of wine comes from over-structure or a lack of fat. The relativity of this perception structure/fat will be marked by the longevity of the wine.
CHEMICAL INTERACTIONS
It is not desirable to mix a wine with a phenolic thiol as phenols and thiols oxidize all lose the potential of the first aromatic. Wine has many chemical dimensions simultaneously, as sweetness, astringency, bitterness, sourness and hot. When you increase the bitterness of the wine, it also increases the nature of the alcohol or when acidity increases, so does the profile of astringency.
COMPLEXITY
The great wines of the world are complex. Therefore, the better the wine is, the greater its complexity must be. To achieve a Coupage of these characteristics, it is necessary to use wines with a wide variety of aromatic profiles.
AN ACCEPTED PRACTICE
We may say that nowadays almost every wine is a Coupage in a certain way, whether it is a blend of different vineyards, separate fermentation containers, or distinct varietals. Blending is a practice that has grown to a concept that many winemakers are implementing in their vineyards with the purpose of blending varietals together to obtain a better product at the end.
Coupage is a practice that can help to get balance in the wine, add layers of flavours, and integrate in a better way the tannins and acids. A Coupage allows the enologists to select the best characteristics of different wines and then mix them together to create a much better flavour profile, it is a methodology that, in the hands of an expert, could be considered as an art.
I first heard about Godello Grapes from Spain some years ago, and lucky me I had the chance in that moment to get a bottle of Bioca Godello from the Winery Maria Teresa Nuñez de la Vega, one of the best specialized wineries in Spain in Godello wines. Almost at the same time, like a strange game played by destiny, I rented a flat in Madrid and the owner of the place was also the owner of a winery, and there I was, sitting in a living room signing a leasing agreement and the name of the owner of the place written in the contract was Maria Teresa Nuñez de la Vega.
After many years knowing them and talking about all the hard work they were doing in the winery to achieve the goal of making one of the best wines in Spain, they finally achieved it. According to the The World Ranking Wines & Spirits made by the World Association of Writers and Journalists of Wines and Spirits, Bioca Godello 2013 was the best white wine worldwide and top five in the ranking in 2015, achieving the distinction of Wine of the year 2015.
Wine of the year certification from the WAWJ 2015
This ranking is the most serious and prestigious global ranking system (created in 1996), since the living they earn, are chosen blindly by people from around the world including the Top winemakers, engineers or specialists in wines and spirits, journalists, importers, buyers, consumers qualified sommeliers and wine lovers, among others, from more than 120 countries.
But the history doesn’t end just there, for second year in a row, now with the 2014`s Vintage, Bioca Godello is in the top 10 list, at the 7th position, achieving again the title Wine of the year 2016.
Wine of the year certification from the WAWJ 2016
It’s such a pleasure to have this “Champion” in our catalogue since the beginning, and we are sure that this wine is going to be Wine of the Year in the next man years to come.
By the way, if you want to have a look at the complete ranking and check out the rest of the top 100 wines of the world, just click on the link below and you’ll have complete access to this information:
Maybe if you ask to any Spaniard, could you recommend me a good Verdelho from Spain?, he’ll surely recommend you any wine from the region of Rueda. And maybe this association is because of the wine history that this Region has. There are records on the production of wine in this Region since medieval times in old Spanish records from more than 9 centuries ago.
This Designation of Origen is the first and oldest DO created in “Castilla y Leon”, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture on 12 January 1980. The production zone covered by this DO is made up of 72 towns and villages, 53 of which are located in the south of the province of Valladolid, 17 to the west of Segovia and four north of Ávila.
The Grapes produced under this Designation of Origin (DO) are grown between 700 and 800 meters above sea level, on flat and high ground. Winters are cold and long and springs are short with late frost while summers are hot and dry.
It is in the center of the Duero River’s basin and comprises a plateau with smooth relief and slopes exposed to winds from the Atlantic. The soil is grey-brown, rich in calcium and magnesium, easy to till and stony, well ventilated and well drained.
The region is famous for the Verdelho production, but is not the only grape that could be found within this DO. The white grapes allowed under this DO are:
Verdelho
Sauvignon Blanc
Viura
Palomino Fino
It is also possible to find red varieties like:
Tempranillo
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Grenache
A good candidate to taste what Rueda has to offer is the delicate Blanco Nieva, from the municipality of Nieva at the northwest of the town of Segovia. The location of the vineyards in Nieva belongs to the 12th century, when the commercialisation of the wines started with the peak of Los Cartujos monastery. Viñedos de Nieva is a modern company was founded in 1989 as a project trying to revive the vine-growing tradition that existed in this region since memorial times. After 20 years working step by step, in 2009, Bodegas MARTÚE joined this company to enforce the image of this winery and add their experience to increase even more the quality of this wines.
According to The World Ranking Wines (WRW) of the World Association of Writers and Journalists of Wine and Spirits (WAWWJ), Bioca Godello 2013 is the best white wine in 2015 and is holding the 5th position in the top 100 ranking of wines worldwide.
Bioca Godello is made with 100% Godello Grapes in the region of Valdeorras (Galicia, Spain), achieving a fantastic lemon colour, with a very lifted floral style, reminding jasmine and orange blossom.
The producer reached an excellent level of acidity, with spice on the midpalate, giving the wine layers of complexity and a long finish. The very limited quantities produced of this wine and the multiple awards earned in the last years makes it a delicatessen, restricted to only a few people in the world. It’s a wine made by a winemaker not by a marketer and that’s something translated to its flavour.
Alcohol: 13,5% Vol.
Conservation: The bottle should be stored laid on its side, in a dark room without vibrations and at a stable temperature of between 8-12°C.
Pairing and Consumption: Ideal to pair with seafood and white fish. Trophy winner in the Sydney International Wine Competition paired with scallops.
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Valdeorras is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominación de Orixe in Galician) for wines located on the banks of the Sil river, at the south of Ourense province, (Galicia, Spain).
Valdeorras, whose name means “Valley of Gold”, may have been the first grape grower and wine producer region in Galicia. After the ancient Romans had finished mining the area for gold, they planted vines and the wines produced were mentioned in several inscriptions in Latin. The area acquired its official DO status in 1945.
River Sil at Valdeorras
The vineyards of the Valdeorras DO are on the banks of the river Sil, which flows westwards from Castile and León to the province of Ourense. In general the landscape is flat or gently rolling.
The climate in Valdeorras is a combination of Atlantic, continental and a specific micro-climate in the Sil valley. These factors ensure that the vines receive enough sunlight and heat during the short summer. Rainfall is high, between 850 mm and 1,000 mm per year. Temperatures can drop to below zero during the winter.
The Recommended white grapes are Godello and Dona Branca; also authorised is Palomino Fino.
The Recommended red grapes are Mencia, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao; also authorised are Grenache Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Gran Negro, Tempranillo and Negreda.
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Bioca is one of the most recognised Godello’s Wines in the world. Since 2006 when the winery decided to start to promote the wine all around the world and participate in different competitions, the results have been stunning.
The consistency in the methodology used to make this wine during all this years, is the key to great results year after year, and a warranty that no matter the vintage, the wine is always going to be the perfect choice.
The 2013’s Vintage has been the most successful vintage of this wine so far. In the ranking of wines published by the “WORLD ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS AND WRITERS OF WINES AND SPIRITS” Bioca Godello appears as the second best in the world and best white wine in the world 2015. This ranking is made with a selection of wines from over 600,000 participants in major international competitions.
The list of the awards earned by this wine since 2006 is endless:
Valdeorras is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominación de Orixe in Galician) for wines located on the banks of the river Sil in the south of the province of Ourense, (Galicia, Spain).
Valdeorras, whose name means “Valley of Gold”, may have been the first grape growing and wine producing region in Galicia. After the ancient Romans had finished mining the area for gold, they planted vines and the wines produced were mentioned in several inscriptions in Latin.
During the Middle Ages the vineyards were taken over and managed by the religious orders. After a centuries long period of decline, the 19th century saw the area take off again. In the 20th century, in the 1970s experiments were conducted to reintroduce the native Godello grape variety.
The area acquired its official DO status in 1945. At DO Valdeorras they explain that the project researched the most appropriate rootstocks and training methods and addressed the grape’s tendency to mature very rapidly due to serious sunshine exposure in autumn. Apparently hillside plantations had given excellent wines from way back in antiquity, so they also looked into what soils and locations could be best. Luckily Galicia happens to have some of the finest slate in Europe. But in all not more than 1,000 square meters (1,200 sq. yards) of vineyard had survived. The surviving Godello vines were around 60 years old, grafted onto a hybrid of Vitis vinifera and rupestris. Clonal selection among these not more than 200 original stocks has been subsequently improved, yet without narrowing it too tightly to preserve polyclonal vineyards.
These pioneers were also some of the first in Spain to use stainless steel, but confessedly the first new Godello’s were not consistent. The lack of immediate varietal aroma slowed its appeal on the international market. Yet thanks to careful work in vineyards and total control of rising maturity at harvest, Godello wines now show an attractive nose and a fleshy, rounded palate. The good thing about Godello is that it allows terroir to shine through, but possible odd smells need to be avoided. This is why a selection table at harvest time is essential.
River Sil at Valdeorras
The vineyards of the Valdeorras DO are on the banks of the river Sil, which flows westwards from Castile and León to the province of Ourense. In general the landscape is flat or gently rolling.
As most of the vineyards are on the river Sil valley floor, the soils are alluvial and quite fertile, with good moisture retaining properties.
The vines are planted at a height of between 240 m and 320 m above sea level.
The climate in Valdeorras is a combination of Atlantic, continental and a specific micro-climate in the Sil valley. These factors ensure that the vines receive enough sunlight and heat during the short summer. Rainfall is high, between 850 mm and 1,000 mm per year. Temperatures can drop to below zero during the winter.
In addition to this, there are also risks of late frosts and hails in spring, excessive heat in summer, and violent storms caused by the mixture of the sea breezes and the dry air of the Castilian plain.
The Recommended white grapes are Godello and Dona Branca; also authorised is Palomino Fino.
The Recommended red grapes are Mencia, Merenzao, Sousón, Brancellao; also authorised are Grenache Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), Gran Negro, Tempranillo and Negreda.
Godello is a white wine grape originating in the northwest of Spain, probably in the province of Galicia (north of Portugal). This grape reaches its best results in the small Village of Valdeorras in Galicia, and does not seem to be grown much elsewhere in the world. There are some other regions in Spain like El Bierzo where there is a development of this grape, but in Valdeorras the results are stunning.
Godello is now one of Spain’s two premier white wines sitting beside Albariño, another well known Galician grape in that capacity.
The essence of Godello grapes is the minerality and acidity. The extra that distinguishes it from many other serviceable varieties with those qualities, is a richness of fruit and wildflower flavours and a somewhat denser body than the usual all-mineral white vines.
Godello is sometimes mistakenly confused with Verdelho, which is in fact a different grape. This name is sometimes used for Godello and also to define the Portugese Gouveio.
The lost grape
A Phylloxera epidemic hit the region in the 19th century, devastating vineyards and taking Godello to the brink of extinction. To restore the area’s devastated vineyards, vast plantations of heavy-cropping Palomino further squeezed what few Godello vines had survived.
While in Andalusia Palomino grapes were famous for producing sherry, at the north of Spain, in Galicia, Palomino tends to make dumb, lifeless wines best suited to quantity rather than quality. Finally, wise heads in the wine industry realised that a simple and cheap wine was not a good way to foment employment and that the sector had to be quickly redirected. Finally, in the 1970s, the Valdeorras Council launched the “Revival Project”, recovering Godello grapes from the road of the extinction.
Numerous researches were made to find the most appropriate rootstocks and training methods and addressing the grape’s tendency to mature very rapidly due to serious sunshine exposure in autumn. In all not more than 1,000 square meters (1,200 sq. yards) of vineyard had survived. The surviving Godello vines were around 60 years old, grafted onto a hybrid of Vitis vinifera and rupestris.
