Bimbache La Raya 2023
£42.53 (Inc. VAT bot. 75 cl.) / North Ireland
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 La Raya, the third vintage they have produced since 2020 (for some reason, I never tasted the 2022...), is an unusual white from the John Stone vineyard. It fermented and matured in a Manzanilla Sherry cask for one year under a thin veil of flor yeasts that gives it a nutty, spicy and yeasty twist. It comes in with 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.56 and 5.7 grams of acidity. It has a round and tender palate, which seems to be a characteristic of their 2023s. It's not as pungent as the regular John Stone and has nuances from the élevage in that particular very old cask. Only 600 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2025.
Features
Type of wine
Pairings
Style
Occasions
Appellation
Alcohol
13.5%
Grapes
Serving
Between 8ºC and 10ºC
Winemaking
Static ageing under flor for 9 months in sherry casks.
Description
The history of Bimbache La Raya was born in El Hierro, the westernmost island of the Canary Islands archipelago, where Bimbache decided to challenge the frontiers of the known. " La Raya" takes its name from the old imaginary line of the zero meridian, at the Punta de Orchilla, where the world seemed to end. It is here that the team selected an exceptional batch of Vijariego Blanco and Listán Blanco, indigenous grapes brought to their peak of ripeness. The volcanic terroir, with ancient lava soils, the constant influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the island climate, give the wine a unique character: extreme, saline and deeply mineral. Only 600 bottles, without designation of origin, with a free and experimental spirit.
Winemaking
The grapes for Bimbache La Raya were harvested late, seeking concentration and expressiveness. After spontaneous fermentation, the wine was transferred to oak casks wrapped in sherry, where it rested for 18 months under a veil of flor, in the Andalusian style. This biological ageing, without intervention, protected the wine from oxygen and gave it complexity and a texture refined by time. Slow evaporation inside the barrels increased its natural concentration, reaching 15.5% alcohol. Bimbache La Raya is bottled in May, without fining or filtering.
Taste
Bimbache La Raya is a radical white: the nose is reminiscent of an unfortified fino, with notes of raw almond, flor yeast, citrus rind and sea salt. On the palate, the acidity is electric, cutting, and the texture is enveloping, almost oily. The profile is dry, with hints of walnut, candied apple and faint spices, all over a mineral and saline background that prolongs the finish. There is tension, depth and a persistence that defies the limits of what is expected of a white wine. Ideal for those seeking excitement, vertigo and authenticity in a glass. La Raya is not a complacent wine, it is a bottled volcanic and Atlantic manifesto.
Shipping to North Ireland
50% discount on orders over £354.20Estimated transit time: 4-5 working days.
| Bottles | Price | Over £354.20 |
|---|---|---|
| 1-6 | £11.42 | £5.71 (-£5.71) |
| 7-12 | £15.50 | £7.75 (-£7.75) |
| 13-18 | £21.69 | £10.85 (-£10.85) |
| 19-24 | £29.66 | £14.83 (-£14.83) |
| 25-30 | £34.45 | £17.22 (-£17.22) |
| 31-36 | £38.52 | £19.26 (-£19.26) |
| 37-42 | £46.49 | £23.24 (-£23.24) |
| 43-48 | £50.92 | £25.46 (-£25.46) |
| 49-54 | £57.51 | £28.76 (-£28.76) |
| 55-60 | £61.81 | £30.90 (-£30.90) |
| VAT included | ||
