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Bodegas Bilbaínas La Vicalanda Rioja Reserva is a powerful, vineyard-selected Tempranillo created as one of Rioja's pioneering Alta Expresión wines. Selected old-vine parcels around Haro give concentrated black fruit, violet and mineral character, joined by roasted and balsamic notes and a velvety, structured palate.
Malolactic fermentation and maturation in new French oak bring depth and complexity, followed by extended bottle ageing to bring everything together. Full-bodied, persistent and beautifully balanced, La Vicalanda is an excellent choice when you want Rioja Reserva with greater concentration, structure and individuality rather than simply the elegance of a classical style.
La Vicalanda is Rioja Reserva with the volume turned up — not through heaviness for its own sake, but through careful vineyard selection, low yields, old-vine Tempranillo and more ambitious maturation. Dark fruit, violet, roasted notes and balsamic and mineral character combine with a full, structured palate and a long finish.
What makes it particularly interesting is the combination of power and balance. There's considerably more concentration and structure here than in a straightforward traditional Reserva, yet the wine retains the freshness and elegance needed to keep that richness under control.
Merchant's Tip
If you normally enjoy Rioja Reserva but occasionally wish it had a little more depth and authority, this is exactly where I'd look. La Vicalanda keeps recognisable mature Rioja character but gives you considerably more concentration, structure and intensity. It's a wine to sit with rather than simply an easy bottle to open.
Nose
Deep and expressive, with ripe black fruit and violet joined by roasted notes and a distinctive balsamic and mineral background.
Palate
Full-bodied, powerful and structured, with concentrated dark fruit, a velvety entry and substantial but beautifully balanced texture. French-oak maturation adds depth and complexity without obscuring the Tempranillo.
Finish
Long and persistent, with dark fruit, savoury balsamic character, mineral notes and lingering toasted complexity.
Choose La Vicalanda if you already enjoy Rioja Reserva but want greater concentration, structure and individuality. This isn't simply about spending more for additional ageing: vineyard selection, lower yields and a more ambitious approach to maturation give the wine a distinctly more powerful personality.
It will particularly suit you if you enjoy full-bodied reds but still want the balance, savoury development and elegance associated with mature Rioja. If your preference is for softer, gentler and more traditionally understated Reserva, another style may suit you better.
If you're still deciding what level of maturity you're looking for, our Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva Guide explains what Rioja's ageing classifications can — and cannot — tell you about the wine in the bottle.
La Vicalanda is made entirely from Tempranillo selected from some of Bodegas Bilbaínas' best vineyard parcels around Haro in Rioja Alta. The vines are traditionally bush trained, average more than 30 years old and are deliberately kept at low yields, concentrating the character of the fruit before it reaches the winery.
The selected vineyards include Cuervo 4, Vicuana and Zaco. Vineyard work is carried out manually, giving the winery close control over the quality of fruit chosen for La Vicalanda.
The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in new Allier French-oak barrels before extended maturation in barrel and bottle. That combination of concentrated Tempranillo and significant French-oak maturation helps explain its powerful structure, velvety texture and roasted complexity, while prolonged bottle ageing allows the fruit, oak and tannins to become more integrated.
The result is deliberately different from simply making another classical Rioja Reserva. La Vicalanda was created as part of Rioja's Alta Expresión movement, putting greater emphasis on selected vineyards, concentration and individual expression while retaining the balance expected of serious Rioja.
This is a natural partner for substantial food. Roast lamb is particularly good, as are beef, venison and other game, slow-cooked meat dishes, cured ham, mature cheeses and hearty pulse or meat-based rice dishes.
Serve at around 16–18°C. Because of its concentration and structure, I'd give it some air rather than serving it immediately after opening; a generous red-wine glass will also give its dark fruit, balsamic and mineral character room to develop.
For more ideas, our Rioja Food Pairing Guide explores how different Rioja styles work at the table.
La Vicalanda has a particularly clear reason for being in our Rioja range. It isn't simply another Reserva and it doesn't need to compete with Viña Pomal by trying to be a more expensive version of the same idea. Its purpose is different: selected vineyards, older low-yielding vines, concentration and more assertive winemaking produce a bigger, deeper and more structured expression of Rioja.
That also makes La Vicalanda an interesting counterpoint within Bodegas Bilbaínas itself. Viña Pomal shows how compelling classical Rioja Alta can be when built around elegance and balance; La Vicalanda shows what the same winery can achieve when vineyard selection, concentration and individual expression are pushed much further forward.
If La Vicalanda sounds appealing but you're unsure whether you need this degree of concentration and structure, our Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva Guide can help establish whether your unresolved question is really about maturation or about the style of Rioja you prefer.
You can also discover why La Vicalanda sits apart from the more classical Viña Pomal wines in our Bodegas Bilbaínas producer guide, or explore our premium and special-cuvée Rioja collection if what you're really looking for is Rioja that goes beyond the conventional ageing ladder.
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