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Rioja's Ramon Bilbao snaps up 'dream' vineyard

Published:  25 August, 2015

Rioja producer Ramón Bilbao has bought what it is billing as a "dream parcel" of vines in the region, and the winery's highest altitude vineyard to date.

The 85ha Rades de Monte Yerga vineyard is 700 metres above sea level in the Yerga mountain range, and is planted with 40-year-old Tempranillo vines on stony, clay-limestone soils.

Managing director and chief winemaker Rodolfo Bastida said: "We have bought grapes from this vineyard for years and know it produces the sort of fine, elegant wines with good acidity and complexity that we're looking for at Ramón Bilbao.

"Over the next few years we will explore the plot in more detail and perform micro-vinification experiments so we get to know the terroir and vines intimately.

"Land does not become available very often in Rioja, so to be able to call somewhere as special - and with as much potential - as the Monte Yerga vineyard our own is very exciting."

Ramón Bilbao now owns 160ha of vineyards in Rioja and sources premium grapes from a further 700 hectares.

It also produces Albariño wines in Galicia.

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