A Ramón Bilbao Retrospective with Rodolfo Bastida at Sam's Riverside

Last year, Ramón Bilbao celebrated its centenary year and Rodolfo Bastida’s 25th anniversary at the winemaking helm. 

Over that time, their wines have been at the forefront of innovation in Spanish production. Since its birth in Haro (La Rioja), their production has expanded to include vineyards in both Rueda and Rioja. With fellow winemakers Rosana Lisa in Rioja and Sara Bañuelos in Rueda, Rodolfo has been championing experimentation and expansion, all whilst respecting traditional winemaking practices, celebrating native grapes and honouring the local terroir. 

We tasted some of Rodolfo’s standout bottles since his time at Ramón Bilbao and explored some of the more contemporary, fresher wines that the brand has pioneered, which led the way for fruitier, more fashionable styles that are now found across Spain. 

We started with a masterclass where our first stop on the map was Rueda. Located on an elevated (700-870m) plateau with no protection from the wind and 2,600 hours of sunshine each year, the vines benefit from very little disease pressure and marked diurnal range, which helps the late ripening Verdejo that the region is famous for maintain its acidity. The Verdejo Sobre Lías 2022 (single variety Verdejo) showed fennel and peach character, making it the perfect match for pairing with vegetable dishes, whereas the limited production Finca Las Amedias 2020 from old vine Verdejo (blended with Sauvignon Blanc), was lifted with a stony, clean freshness. 

Next, we discovered the wines from Rioja. 

Límite Norte 2021 comes from the most northern vineyards in Rioja Alta, cooled by constant northerly breezes. A blend of 50% Maturana Blanca and 50% Tempranillo Blanco, which are fermented separately in concrete, complexity is added by ageing in concrete, amphoras, barrels and then bottle. No new oak on this, which let the fruit forward profile really sing.

Lalomba Finca Lalinde 2024 rosé was pure strawberries and cream - like a Fruitella! Lees ageing for 6 months added that creamy body. We were told this ages well so would be keen to see how it develops. Definitely a more premium rosé which retails at roughly £25.

Límite Sur 2021 is 100% Garnacha, grown in the southernmost region and picked over a period of one month for maximum ripeness with 10% of stems added to support with tannins. Cherries, pepper and liquorice - this was a firm favourite amongst the group.

Viñedos de Altura 2022 was a 50/50 Tempranillo and Garnacha blend. From two locations with differing soil types - Ábalos with its clay-calcareous which is perfect for Tempranillo and Monte Yegra with its stony soils, that are perfect for ripening Garnacha - but similar elevation (650-700m), this wine is the product of extremes. Fermented in steel to retain freshness and aged in oak for spicy notes. The high altitude here means the grapes are grown closer to the sun, which maximises the effect of UV and in turn deepens the anthocyanins in the grapes, which aids with richness of colour.

The Reserva 2019 was 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano/Mazuelo co-fermented field blend. These are bush trained old vines, that produce concentrated flavour which works so well with the chestnut notes derived from American oak. It undergoes a period of bottle ageing which melds everything together harmoniously. 

Finally, Gran Reserva 2001, with 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano/Mazuelo field blend, was made from an exceptional vintage. American oak ageing for 10 years develops its character and adds structure whilst retaining its ruby colour (I couldn’t believe how youthful it looked still!). It’s then aged in concrete for a more refined flavour and finally aged in bottle. The result was a rich and complex red with ripe fruit, spice and smokiness.

We also enjoyed the entry level rosé (which split the group's opinion of the day's top spot rosé!) on the terrace with parmesan churros before diving into a delicious three course meal. Each course was paired with more favourites, such as a magnum of the 1999 Mirto with its heavy berry fruit, smoky cacao and dark chocolate with density and ripeness. Really interesting to try this as a reminder of the heavier blends that have given way to the lighter, fresher styles in more recent years.

A really fantastic insight into all the amazing things Rodolfo and his team are doing at Ramón Bilbao - felt very lucky to be there!