2023 Bimbache Blanco
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Canary Islands |
| Appellation | |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Grape | , , Pedro Ximenez |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (14%) |
| Drink window | 2025 - 2030 |
In stock
6 items available
Description
Bimbache is the name of the former inhabitants of the small island of El Hierro, the westernmost and smallest of the Canary Islands. After its conquest by the Spanish in 1405, the local inhabitants, or Bimbaches, were sold as slaves a few years later. It is also, and above all, the name of one of the most inspiring wine projects of recent years in Spain. Rayco Fernández (also known from the "Puro Rofe" project in Lanzarote) is a local wine distributor in Gran Canaria with immense knowledge of the potential and future of the islands' vineyards. In El Hierro, there were not many hectares of vineyards left. Especially along the steep northern slope of the island, few winemakers are willing to take the plunge. Yields are often too low to justify the investment. Rayco took the plunge, and his wines have since become a household name. Bimbache wines are so different, so original, and above all, so Atlantic.
The island is a treasure trove of nearly extinct or forgotten grape varieties that no longer exist anywhere, or at least not in the quality they do here. Luis Gutiérrez for Parker says: "El Hierro is a tiny island that is considered a repository of local grape varieties, as it has been frozen in time for a long time. In fact, everything is so slow there that visiting the island is akin to time travel. The risk is that many vineyards are being abandoned, as there is a lack of young people to take over. Thank God for projects like this! They have two hectares of vineyards and work a further three hectares from local growers, and in 2019 they produced a grand total of 5,000 bottles."
The Bimbache Blanco is a blend of Baboso Blanco, Gual Blanco, Listan Blanco, Pedro Ximenez, and Verijadiego Blanco. These are typical (and unique) grapes from the northern slopes of El Hierro. The grapes are gently pressed from the whole bunches. Fermentation then takes place in stainless steel tanks and maturation in Stöckinger casks (boeders, stainless steel, and partially in older barriques), where the wine develops flor, giving it a delicious yet distinctive aroma. Only indigenous yeasts are used, and minimal sulfites are added at bottling.
In the glass, the Bimbache Blanco has a beautiful, fresh, bright straw yellow color. On the nose, we initially encounter notes of citrus fruit with a touch of pineapple in the background. The fruit gradually evolves into a lovely spiciness of bay leaf and a touch of fennel. This is a wine with an Atlantic Sea injection, and therefore has a robust acidity that gives it backbone. The palate is firm, yet also retains the typical salty notes of limited flor aging. This is not a wine for beginners, but oh so beautiful and unique, with plenty of character. The Bimbache Blanco has a long finish with plenty of freshness. It is certainly a wine that, thanks to its robust backbone, will continue to refine in the bottle and has a drinking window until 2030 or longer. Decanting is recommended in its youth.
FACT: In the "Attachments" tab, you'll find the official fact sheet for this fine wine. We'll automatically send it to you when you order it. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount. You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pick up" at checkout. We're located in Dordrecht, right next to the A16 motorway with ample parking. Click here for our address.
You can read the full wine reviews from Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator, among others. This is a free service for our customers.
Need advice on finding the perfect wine to pair with your dish? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grand Cru customers.
Specifications
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Canary Islands |
| Appellation | El Hierro |
| Winery | Bimbache |
| Grape | Blend wit, Listán Negro, Pedro Ximenez |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2030 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | No |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 94 |
| Tasting Profiles | Droog, Fris, Fruitig, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Borrelen, Met vrienden, Summer party, Terras, Voor alledag |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 94
Reviewed by:
Luis Gutiérrez
Release Price:
$51
Drink Date:
2024 - 2030
The 2023 Bimbache Blanco is a multi-grape blend of Vijariego Blanco, Listán Blanco, Malvasía, Marmajuelo, Verdello and Forastera from different plots in different places, altitudes and expositions, reflecting the El Hierro character. It has a golden color and a ripe nose. It reached 14% alcohol but kept the freshness and poise. For some reason, it reminded me of some ouillé whites from Jura, with some spiciness and a bitter twist in the finish. It has a different profile from other vintages, but I liked it very much. 5,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024.
The 2023s from Bimbache Vinícola have an austere and reductive profile with some ripeness in a warm year. They lost some grapes (the John Stone plot, for example) because of a heat wave in August; but the zone has more natural acidity, so the wines keep the sharp profile. There's a new entry-level red, Chivo. They are in the process of obtaining the organic certification for the wines.
Published: Oct 31, 2024
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Bimbache is the name of the former inhabitants of the small island of El Hierro, the westernmost and smallest of the Canary Islands. After the conquest by the Spaniards in 1405, the local inhabitants or Bimbaches were sold into slavery a few years later. However, it is also and above all the name of one of the most imaginative wine projects in Spain in recent years. Rayco Fernández (we also know him from the "Puro Rofe" project in Lanzarote), is a local wine distributor in Gran Canaria with an immeasurable knowledge of the potential and future of the islands' vineyards. In El Hierro not very many hectares of vineyards remained. Certainly along the steep north side of the island there are still few winegrowers who take their chance. The returns are often too small to legitimize the investment, but Rayco took its chance and with great success. The wines of Bimbache are so different, so original and above all so Atlantic, so wines with a Sea injection
The small island of El Hierro is completely protected as a "reserva de la biosfera". The island is a treasure trove of almost disappeared or forgotten grape varieties that are no longer found anywhere or at least not in the capacity as they occur here. For example, this is what Parker's Luis Gutiérrez says about it: "El Hierro is a tiny island that is considered the repository of local grape varieties, as it has been frozen in time for a long time. In fact, everything is so slow there that visiting the island is akin to time traveling.The risk is that many vineyards are being abandoned, as there is a lack of young people to take over.Thank God for projects like this!They have two hectares of vineyards and work a further three hectares from local growers, and in 2019 they produced a grand total of 5,000 bottles."
El Hierro is without a doubt a patchwork and treasure chest of unknown grape varieties. Bimbache mainly works with field blends, in which the most common species are mentioned, but where there are still a lot of species of which we don't even know the name anymore. We are mainly talking about white grape varieties here, although a minority of red varieties have also been planted. Verijadiego blanco is the most common. Also called "Diego" or "Vijariego blanco" on other islands. Listan blanco is the 2nd most common grape. Then a whole list such as: Gual, Babosa blanca, Pedro Ximenez, Forastera blanca. In red we mainly find Listan negro, Listan Prieto and Verijadiego tinto.
El Hierro is the youngest island of the Canarias. The entire island is only 268 km2 and barely 10,000 people live there. The island was created 1.2 million years ago via a volcanic eruption from the sea and rose more than 2000 m from the sea. Today the highest point is the Pico de Malpaso at 1500 m. The last eruption was on land in 1793, but in 2011, a stone's throw from the village of La Restinga, there was an underwater eruption, in which a lot of volcanic ash and lava ended up in the sea and briefly a mini-island was formed.
However small the island, the north side is very different from the south side. The steep north face, consisting mainly of one black wall that gradually rises from the sea, is very humid and has a very large Atlantic influence. However, the south side is very dry with little precipitation. Between the 2 is a ridge that rises from sea level to 1500 meters in barely a few km.
Bimbache has vineyards on the north side as well as on the south side. The white varieties mainly come from the small vineyards on the north side. Here the terroir is black lava sand. The red varieties are planted on the south side where we have a mixture of clay and volcanic sand and ashes. vinification, Bimbache uses a non-interventionist philosophy. All vineyards are (obviously) cultivated with respect for nature and organically. The majority of wines are made with whole bunches. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts starts in a stainless steel cuve and is continued in a large wooden Stöckinger foeder or in French Barriques. Often with the formation of a layer of flor in the foeder or barrique. All the wines are bottled unclarified and unfiltered.
Bimbache is the name of the former inhabitants of the small island of El Hierro, the westernmost and smallest of the Canary Islands. After its conquest by the Spanish in 1405, the local inhabitants, or Bimbaches, were sold as slaves a few years later. It is also, and above all, the name of one of the most inspiring wine projects of recent years in Spain. Rayco Fernández (also known from the "Puro Rofe" project in Lanzarote) is a local wine distributor in Gran Canaria with immense knowledge of the potential and future of the islands' vineyards. In El Hierro, there were not many hectares of vineyards left. Especially along the steep northern slope of the island, few winemakers are willing to take the plunge. Yields are often too low to justify the investment. Rayco took the plunge, and his wines have since become a household name. Bimbache wines are so different, so original, and above all, so Atlantic.
The island is a treasure trove of nearly extinct or forgotten grape varieties that no longer exist anywhere, or at least not in the quality they do here. Luis Gutiérrez for Parker says: "El Hierro is a tiny island that is considered a repository of local grape varieties, as it has been frozen in time for a long time. In fact, everything is so slow there that visiting the island is akin to time travel. The risk is that many vineyards are being abandoned, as there is a lack of young people to take over. Thank God for projects like this! They have two hectares of vineyards and work a further three hectares from local growers, and in 2019 they produced a grand total of 5,000 bottles."
The Bimbache Blanco is a blend of Baboso Blanco, Gual Blanco, Listan Blanco, Pedro Ximenez, and Verijadiego Blanco. These are typical (and unique) grapes from the northern slopes of El Hierro. The grapes are gently pressed from the whole bunches. Fermentation then takes place in stainless steel tanks and maturation in Stöckinger casks (boeders, stainless steel, and partially in older barriques), where the wine develops flor, giving it a delicious yet distinctive aroma. Only indigenous yeasts are used, and minimal sulfites are added at bottling.
In the glass, the Bimbache Blanco has a beautiful, fresh, bright straw yellow color. On the nose, we initially encounter notes of citrus fruit with a touch of pineapple in the background. The fruit gradually evolves into a lovely spiciness of bay leaf and a touch of fennel. This is a wine with an Atlantic Sea injection, and therefore has a robust acidity that gives it backbone. The palate is firm, yet also retains the typical salty notes of limited flor aging. This is not a wine for beginners, but oh so beautiful and unique, with plenty of character. The Bimbache Blanco has a long finish with plenty of freshness. It is certainly a wine that, thanks to its robust backbone, will continue to refine in the bottle and has a drinking window until 2030 or longer. Decanting is recommended in its youth.
FACT: In the "Attachments" tab, you'll find the official fact sheet for this fine wine. We'll automatically send it to you when you order it. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount. You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pick up" at checkout. We're located in Dordrecht, right next to the A16 motorway with ample parking. Click here for our address.
You can read the full wine reviews from Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator, among others. This is a free service for our customers.
Need advice on finding the perfect wine to pair with your dish? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grand Cru customers.
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Canary Islands |
| Appellation | El Hierro |
| Winery | Bimbache |
| Grape | Blend wit, Listán Negro, Pedro Ximenez |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2030 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | No |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 94 |
| Tasting Profiles | Droog, Fris, Fruitig, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Borrelen, Met vrienden, Summer party, Terras, Voor alledag |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 94
Reviewed by:
Luis Gutiérrez
Release Price:
$51
Drink Date:
2024 - 2030
The 2023 Bimbache Blanco is a multi-grape blend of Vijariego Blanco, Listán Blanco, Malvasía, Marmajuelo, Verdello and Forastera from different plots in different places, altitudes and expositions, reflecting the El Hierro character. It has a golden color and a ripe nose. It reached 14% alcohol but kept the freshness and poise. For some reason, it reminded me of some ouillé whites from Jura, with some spiciness and a bitter twist in the finish. It has a different profile from other vintages, but I liked it very much. 5,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024.
The 2023s from Bimbache Vinícola have an austere and reductive profile with some ripeness in a warm year. They lost some grapes (the John Stone plot, for example) because of a heat wave in August; but the zone has more natural acidity, so the wines keep the sharp profile. There's a new entry-level red, Chivo. They are in the process of obtaining the organic certification for the wines.
Published: Oct 31, 2024
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Bimbache is the name of the former inhabitants of the small island of El Hierro, the westernmost and smallest of the Canary Islands. After the conquest by the Spaniards in 1405, the local inhabitants or Bimbaches were sold into slavery a few years later. However, it is also and above all the name of one of the most imaginative wine projects in Spain in recent years. Rayco Fernández (we also know him from the "Puro Rofe" project in Lanzarote), is a local wine distributor in Gran Canaria with an immeasurable knowledge of the potential and future of the islands' vineyards. In El Hierro not very many hectares of vineyards remained. Certainly along the steep north side of the island there are still few winegrowers who take their chance. The returns are often too small to legitimize the investment, but Rayco took its chance and with great success. The wines of Bimbache are so different, so original and above all so Atlantic, so wines with a Sea injection
The small island of El Hierro is completely protected as a "reserva de la biosfera". The island is a treasure trove of almost disappeared or forgotten grape varieties that are no longer found anywhere or at least not in the capacity as they occur here. For example, this is what Parker's Luis Gutiérrez says about it: "El Hierro is a tiny island that is considered the repository of local grape varieties, as it has been frozen in time for a long time. In fact, everything is so slow there that visiting the island is akin to time traveling.The risk is that many vineyards are being abandoned, as there is a lack of young people to take over.Thank God for projects like this!They have two hectares of vineyards and work a further three hectares from local growers, and in 2019 they produced a grand total of 5,000 bottles."
El Hierro is without a doubt a patchwork and treasure chest of unknown grape varieties. Bimbache mainly works with field blends, in which the most common species are mentioned, but where there are still a lot of species of which we don't even know the name anymore. We are mainly talking about white grape varieties here, although a minority of red varieties have also been planted. Verijadiego blanco is the most common. Also called "Diego" or "Vijariego blanco" on other islands. Listan blanco is the 2nd most common grape. Then a whole list such as: Gual, Babosa blanca, Pedro Ximenez, Forastera blanca. In red we mainly find Listan negro, Listan Prieto and Verijadiego tinto.
El Hierro is the youngest island of the Canarias. The entire island is only 268 km2 and barely 10,000 people live there. The island was created 1.2 million years ago via a volcanic eruption from the sea and rose more than 2000 m from the sea. Today the highest point is the Pico de Malpaso at 1500 m. The last eruption was on land in 1793, but in 2011, a stone's throw from the village of La Restinga, there was an underwater eruption, in which a lot of volcanic ash and lava ended up in the sea and briefly a mini-island was formed.
However small the island, the north side is very different from the south side. The steep north face, consisting mainly of one black wall that gradually rises from the sea, is very humid and has a very large Atlantic influence. However, the south side is very dry with little precipitation. Between the 2 is a ridge that rises from sea level to 1500 meters in barely a few km.
Bimbache has vineyards on the north side as well as on the south side. The white varieties mainly come from the small vineyards on the north side. Here the terroir is black lava sand. The red varieties are planted on the south side where we have a mixture of clay and volcanic sand and ashes. vinification, Bimbache uses a non-interventionist philosophy. All vineyards are (obviously) cultivated with respect for nature and organically. The majority of wines are made with whole bunches. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts starts in a stainless steel cuve and is continued in a large wooden Stöckinger foeder or in French Barriques. Often with the formation of a layer of flor in the foeder or barrique. All the wines are bottled unclarified and unfiltered.