2019 Bichi 'No Sapiens' Valle de Guadalupe

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  • An Up & Coming Producer in Mexico
  • Biodynamic & Organic Practices
  • Old Vine, Field blend from Own Rooted Old Vines
  • Natural Farming & Winemaking
  • Free Shipping on 6 or More Bottles

About the Wine

No Sapiens comes from a single, dry-farmed, 69-year-old vineyard comprised of a mysterious grape variety that remains unidentified. The farmer says it could be Dolcetto, Luyt thinks maybe Cariñena due to its sharp acidity, no one is quite sure and perhaps it doesn't really matter as this wine shows its place beautifully. Some of the most authentic and delicious wines are born from the least expected places and most unlikely collaborations. This is one of those gems.

Similar to vineyards planted in the Douro region, many farmers planted vines without concern for the varietal. So, perhaps it's less important what varietal is in the bottle than the quality of what's in the bottle. We've tasted over 100 wines from Baja Mexico, and this is the first one BHW has featured. If you're looking for a wine adventure and you're curious about what's happening in Mexican winemaking, start here.

In the rugged mountains of Mexico’s Baja California Norte, Bichi has put together one of the most exciting projects in the world of wine. Spanish conquistadores first planted vines in Coahuila in the late 1500s, pre-dating vine growing in both Chile and Argentina. The region was so well-suited and successful, that the Spanish Crown ordered production halted in fear of New World wine becoming more popular than their Iberian producers.

Bichi was founded in 2014 by the Téllez family, who moved to Baja from neighboring Sonora, hence the name Bichi, which means “naked” in the Sonoran Yaqui dialect. Helping out with winemaking duties is Beaujolais-trained Yann Rohel. Bichi is continuing to grow and is regularly seeking out new vineyards and evolving the winemaking style. 

While Valle de Guadalupe has overall adopted a more technological and modern approach, Bichi adheres to traditional methods and minimal intervention. Bichi farms 10 hectares of their own Tecate vineyards biodynamically and collaborates with a growing family of organic farmers working vineyard land in Tecate and around San Antonio de las Minas (Valle de Guadalupe).

In the winery, grapes are destemmed by hand and gently trodden by foot, and fermentations are carried out by wild yeast in locally-made concrete amphorae. The wines are raised in a mix of neutral barrels and steel vats, with a minuscule 10 ppm of sulfur added at bottling to preserve the wine for travel, if needed.

Vinification: 3 months in stainless steel and neutral oak

Tasting Notes: Unknown Variety: This is chock-full of ripe black and red fruits, wafting just over the layers of fruit is some fresh violets. The palate is able to maintain the lush fruit without losing any freshness. There is a leathery, earthy quality and a distinct nose of cherry lozenge with a touch of Castelvetrano olives on the finish. 

Reviews

NYR

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