0 items £0.00
Lágrimas de Bhilar Graciano is Rioja for the curious wine drinker. Made entirely from Graciano, it gives one of Rioja's traditional supporting grapes the starring role, revealing bright red fruit, violets, herbs and peppery spice alongside fresh acidity and fine tannins. The result is aromatic, vibrant and distinctly individual rather than a conventional oak-led Rioja.
Bodegas Bhilar grows the variety around high-altitude Elvillar in Rioja Alavesa, where David Sampedro began planting Graciano in 1999 despite doubts that this late-ripening grape would succeed. Choose this when you want to discover a less familiar, more grape-led side of Rioja.
Merchant's Tip
Don't approach this expecting a miniature version of traditional Rioja Reserva. That's precisely what makes it interesting. Graciano normally plays a supporting role in Rioja blends, but here it gets the whole bottle to itself. We recommend it when somebody already enjoys Rioja but wants to discover something different, or when an adventurous red-wine drinker wants a bottle with a genuine story and a strong sense of individuality.
Appearance: Bright ruby red with youthful violet tones.
Nose: Expressive and aromatic, with red berries and violets joined by black pepper, liquorice, eucalyptus and fresh herbal notes.
Palate: Fresh red fruit leads a lively, finely textured palate. Bright acidity gives the wine energy and definition, while fine tannins provide gentle structure. Peppery spice, herbs and floral notes make this feel distinctly different from more conventional Rioja.
Finish: Fresh, persistent and spicy, with lingering red fruit, herbs and pepper.
Choose Lágrimas de Bhilar Graciano if you enjoy discovering wines that show you something new. This is particularly interesting if you already know Rioja through Tempranillo, Crianza or Reserva and now want to taste one of the region's less familiar grapes without it disappearing into a blend.
It should also appeal if you prefer freshness, fragrance and savoury spice to obvious oak or sheer weight. Despite Graciano's reputation for structure and acidity, this expression is vibrant and approachable, with bright fruit, fine tannins and plenty of aromatic personality.
If what you really want is the smooth, mature oak character associated with traditional Rioja Reserva, this isn't intended to replace it. Equally, if you're looking for a particularly rich, powerful red, another Rioja may suit you better. This bottle earns its place by offering something different: a clear, individual expression of Graciano.
Graciano has traditionally been used as a blending variety in Rioja, valued for the freshness, fragrance, colour and structure it can contribute to other wines. Bodegas Bhilar turns that relationship around and makes Lágrimas de Bhilar entirely from Graciano, allowing the grape itself to become the reason for the wine.
The story began in 1999, when David Sampedro planted Graciano at high-altitude Elvillar in Rioja Alavesa. Graciano is a long-cycle, late-ripening variety more commonly associated with warmer parts of Rioja, and there were doubts that it would ripen successfully in Elvillar's cooler conditions. Longer growing seasons ultimately made the project possible, and Bhilar has continued to explore long-cycle varieties as part of its response to changing conditions.
The grapes are fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete, a deliberately restrained approach that allows Graciano's red fruit, floral aromas, herbs, peppery spice and naturally bright acidity to remain central to the wine. Rather than trying to make Graciano taste like conventional Rioja, the objective is to let the variety and its Elvillar origins speak for themselves.
The wine's bright acidity, aromatic character and fine tannins make it unusually versatile at the table. Try it with roast lamb, grilled pork, game birds, charcuterie, herb-roasted chicken or Mediterranean dishes built around peppers, tomatoes and herbs.
Serve at around 15–16°C. Slightly cooler than a heavier Rioja will emphasise its freshness, perfume and peppery character.
For more meal-led Rioja choices, read our What Food Goes Best with Rioja? guide.
Lágrimas de Bhilar Graciano has a very clear reason for being in our Rioja range. We don't need another bottle simply because it is different; it needs to offer a customer a choice that our other wines cannot. This one does.
Most customers encounter Graciano as a smaller part of a Rioja blend. Here they can discover what happens when it becomes the whole story: more aromatic, fresh, spicy and individual than the classic image many people have of Rioja. It also fits Bodegas Bhilar particularly well, because the producer's strength is showing the diversity of Rioja's grapes and vineyards rather than trying to make every wine conform to a single house style.
If you've enjoyed traditional Rioja and are wondering what else the region can do, this is exactly the sort of bottle we want to be able to show you.
If the idea of discovering Graciano appeals but you'd like to compare this bottle with other wines featuring the grape, browse our Graciano wines.
If it's Bodegas Bhilar's more individual approach to Rioja that interests you, browse our Bodegas Bhilar wines.
If you'd first like to understand why Graciano is unusual and what the grape contributes to Rioja, read our Graciano – Rioja's Hidden Gem guide.
We can ship your order to all UK mainland addresses, usually on a next day delivery.
Our shipping fee is typically £5.95 for a single item order, and a maximum of £7.50 for all other orders. Delivery fees are calculated during check-out.
If your delivery address is local, delivery is free, delivered on the same day you order. Alternatively, you can collect it from our shop.
Click here for cut off times and full details of our courier service.
It is an offence for a person under the age of 18 to buy or attempt to buy alcohol. By making a purchase, you acknowledge that you are 18 years of age or over.