ByV Hija de Aníbal is a small family-run winery in El Bierzo, with an uncompromising commitment towards quality. We started this wine adventure a couple of years ago moved by the nostalgia of the past, as a way to pay homage to our late father and grandfather, Anibal. He was a passionate man, deeply connected to his hamlet, "Otero", and the landscape around it. But, above all, he was passionate about his vineyards, which he lovingly cared for. He always talked about how special they were, and how exceptional a wine would result if it were made exclusively from them. This project is the fulfillment of his dream. We make our wines exclusively of mencía grapes, coming from about 5 hectares of very old vineyards that have been in our family since they were planted. On average they are more than 100 years old. Many of them are un-grafted, and some are even survivors from the phylloxera epidemic, which killed most of the vineyards in Europe at the end of the XIXth century. The survival of these centenarian vines was possible thanks to the privileged conditions where they grow. They are located in the slopes of the hills that surround the hamlet, which is probably one of the best areas to cultivate grapevines in all of the D.O. Bierzo, and where mencía reaches its peak quality. "Las Médulas" (historical Roman gold mines from the 1 st century A.D. and UNESCO World Heritage site), the "Ancares" mountains and the “Castro Bergidum” (ancient Roman archaeological site) frame the unequaled landscape that surrounds them. The terroir varies from plot to plot. It’s mainly a mixture of clay and slate in varying proportions, which give the wines a beautiful balance between richness and mineral character. Since they are very old, the vines produce very low yields, albeit of exceptional quality: we spare no effort to care for them, with a deep respect for tradition and the environment. As part of our sustainable approach to viticulture, we pursue an active effort to recuperate and restore old vineyards that have been neglected or abandoned due to their low yields. Fulfilling all the potential of these extraordinary grapes is the main pillar of our winemaking philosophy. For the whole process we rely on the wise guidance of the renowned oenologist Jose Hidalgo, who is our technical director. Our wine production is limited to about 12000 bottles per year. Our first vintage released to the market was that of 2013, and each year we produce 2 different wines. Although we only embarked recently on this adventure, and despite our small size, we have managed to position ourselves among El Bierzo's great producers. The exceptional quality of our wines has already been accredited by a number of awards, high scorings in major wine publications and very positive reviews. Our clients are mainly high-end restaurants and specialized shops, both within Spain and abroad. We are very excited about reaching out and sharing our wines with even more people. If you have any questions about us, or if you’d be interested in visiting our winery and tasting our wines in our restored 400-year old hamplet house, drop us an email at [email protected].
