With 180 hectares of vineyards, and bought-in wine from a further 900 hectares, Ramón Bilbao is a big player in Rioja. Two new, ground-breaking wines point to the region’s future.
Rioja is famous for its spicy, oak-aged wines, blended from across the region. But totally in line with the current movements towards ever greater understanding of soils and climate, a revolution is underway that puts single vineyards and individual site conditions into clear focus. With climate change in mind, Ramón Bilbao have now developed two new wines that re-define what Rioja is and can be.
Rodolfo Bastida, winemaker for Ramón Bilbao, opened his presentation of the new wines – on the hottest day so far of 2022 – with mention of four forest fires raging in his region. And while the wines express the company’s desire “to discover different landscapes, explore different vineyards and express the differences of the region,” the circumstances are a poignant reminder that climate change can no longer be ignored. “Exploro nuevos paisajes. Busco los limites,” both wines state on their retro neck label, meaning “I explore new landscapes. I look for the limits.”
The white wine is called Límite Norte and represents a departure from tradition, as does its red counterpart Límite Sur. The grapes for Límite Norte are sourced from Cuzcurrita del Río Tirón, in the far north of Rioja, a plateau at 450m with an extremely continental climate, meaning hot summers and harsh winters. It is the coolest corner of the region and that experiences high temperature swings and grapes are picked as late as October. It is here that Ramón Bilbao planted two white grape varieties in 2015, on dry-farmed vineyards: the indigenous white variety Maturana Blanca, first mentioned in 1622, with its small, compact bunches that give low yields. While it is susceptible to rot, it comes with fresh acidity and moderate alcohol levels – just what is needed in a warming climate. Its hardiness helps with the harsh conditions and it is more resistant to drought. This aromatic, textured variety which currently makes up just 0.6% of Rioja’s white vineyards (which in turn just cover 9.15% of Rioja’s total hectarage,) is blended with Tempranillo Blanca, a mutation of red Tempranillo. While it can make quite potent wines in terms of alcohol and body, it too has high acidity, especially when grown at altitude. Límite Norte is a blend of these two. Unusually, the blend has been co-fermented in three different vessels: in concrete for freshness and aromatic potential, in Amphora for texture and subtle oxygen exchange, in 500 and 600 litre barrels for subtle oak notes, texture and more oxygen exchange.
The red counterpart, Límite Sur, is grown in the extreme south of the region, at Monte Yerga at up to 750m of altitude. “An area full of life” Bastida says, with much wildlife and fragrant with wild thyme and rosemary. The wines are made from 100% Garnacha grapes, grown at up to 600m with fresh winds and cooler temperatures that lend much freshness to the wine. Garnacha arrived in the Rioja region after the phylloxera crisis in 1899 and now covers nearly 10% of Rioja’s red vineyards which are dominated by Tempranillo. It is a variety that is both drought- and disease-resistant, known for its red-fruited intensity and aromas – when grown at altitude these attributes begin to shine. The winemaking – with reductive handling, gentle extraction and dialled-down oak-influence – does everything to preserve this naturally bright, fresh character of this high-altitude Grenache. Like the white wine, the red was also aged in concrete, amphora and oak and then finished off in small French barriques.
Both Límite Norte and Límite Sur are Rioja wines – but not as we know it. They showcase cooler vineyards, different grape varieties and a contemporary approach to winemaking. Both wines shine with freshness. As Bastida says: “Rioja is a region with a lot of possibilities for making wines. These new wines are symbols of what can be produced here.”
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