95pts Vinous

The 2021 Bideona V1BN4 (Villabuena) is 100% Tempranillo that aged for 12 months in a mix of stainless steel tanks, 1,200-liter foudres and 500-liter barrels of French and Austrian oak. It opens with pure red fruit—cherry and raspberry—invigorated by delicate herbal notes and a subtle hint of undergrowth. The palate is taut, linear and compact with refined tannins and a vivid core of fresh fruit. Long-lasting and focused, this has a graceful verticality that heightens its clarity. The 2021 is a precise, elegant Rioja of captivating finesse.

Tasting Notes

This wine is a perfect example of the ideal, middle-weight, highly drinkable, yet an extremely age-worthy Rioja Alavesa. It shows precise berry aromas, finely grained tannins, and an amazing flow on the palate, even when young. 

About the Wine

Bideona’s village wine series is intended to showcase the differences in character among the great, historic wine villages of Rioja Alavesa. This series also highlights a senseless regulation of the Denominación de Origen, which allows the use of a village name by the location of the winery – the building – and not the vineyards. Despite having full traceability of each vineyard parcel, Bideona cannot legally use village names on the labels. As a clever workaround, they have substituted all village names with acronyms that they have registered as brands. Thus, ‘Villabuena’ becomes V1BN4. This Tempranillo field blend comes from 50-years-old vineyards at 1,640 feet above sea level in the Villabuena de Álava village. This village is protected by the Sierra Cantabria and ripens later than Laguardia, finding that balance between freshness, elegance, and good fruit concentration.

Organic

Vegan