2019 Bichi La Santa Bottling 1

Region: Tecate < Baja California < Mexico

Grapes: Rosa del Peru (Moscatel Negro)
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Biodynamic farming, dry-farmed, 100 year-old own-rooted vines on sandy, granitic soil at 2400 foot elevation, fermented in 450L concrete ‘tinajas’ (amphora), then ½ aged in stainless steel and ½ in old barrel, super minimal added SO2; 378 cases; 12.5% ABV

Winemaker: Jair Téllez and Luis-Antoine Luyt

NEW VINTAGE ALERT!

It's back -- La Santa, one of Jair’s single vineyard, super old vine, amphora-aged, light, still reds.  Bichi refresher: Jair Téllez, chef of the progressive Laja Restaurant in Ensenada and two cool places in Mexico City, is the guy behind Tecate-based Bichi, the first natural winery in Mexico. A few years ago, he left his post as chef at a Top 50 San Pellegrino Restaurant to resurrect old vines in Baja and make delicious, authentically made wine from grapes suited to the climate, with awesome label art (bonus!). Jair’s winemaking partner in crime is Luis-Antoine Luyt, pioneer of natural winemaking in Chile, so of course they’re working naturally: organic farming, native yeasts, and tiny drops of added so2 as the only additive. These are Mexican wines of the future!  And in our opinion, some of the best wines made in Central America today. 

We're loving the new Santa vintage, which this year he made two bottlings of, showcasing different times in tinaja.  They were both fantastic, but we slightly preferred the first bottling (shorter aging time, pink face on label).  Sporting the same mauve color as always (reminds me of my grandmother’s carpet) its as energetic and poppy on the palate as ever, this time with a grapefruit bitter edge. It’s the wine you wish would be at the bar on a Saturday night, because it’s light and fun, and you could drink it all night long without getting bored. Tastes like cold-pressed sour raspberries, dusty roses, grapefruit pith and Sour Patch kids. Sounds weird but trust us, it is unbelievably delicious.  

DRINKING NOTES: serve slightly chilled, and finish the bottle day 1 before the funk settles in.