BITOQUE
Camargo
Bolivia
Three hours into the mountains from the southern city of Tarija, en route to Potosi, lies the Cinti Valley, nestled amongst some of the highest growing regions in the Americas. The valley is located in the Andean region in the southwest of Bolivia, at a vertiginous elevation of 2400 meters above sea level. The land-locked country is home to a huge variety of terrain and climates, boasting with complex ecosystems and biodiversity.
It is partly due to this difficult terrain that Bolivia’s wine production has yet to catch up to other countries in South America. Most of the wineries have opted for a more conventional approach and have chosen to grow and produce international varietals instead of embracing the local historical grapes left behind by Spanish colonisers.
Bitoque began in 2018 as a heartwarming collaboration between Alejandro Medina and his late father, Herland Medina, a proud Bolivian native. Together they embarked on a quest to find these ancient historical vineyards collaborating with local farmers. The project is a testament between father and son’s bond and commitment to crafting exceptional wines from Bolivia’s unique terroir.
The wines are crafted using the historical Negra Criolla (also known as Listán Prieto in the Canary Islands or País in the Western Hemisphere), Moscatel de Alejandria, and an indigenous natural hybrid cross of the two known as Vischoqueña.
Many of these old vineyards are ungrafted and climb up the abundant Pink Peppercorn (Schinus Molle) trees, whose canopies protect the vines from the intense sun at such high altitudes. The dry climate, age and hardy, well-adapted vines make chemical treatments and heavy pruning unnecessary.
In the winery Alejandro’s approach mirrors the untouched, wild character of the vines he sources the fruit from. He favours natural fermentations, and processing by hand with the use of gravity. Vinifications take place in neutral tank followed by ageing in demi-john for purity and freshness and the wines are bottled without the aid of any additions.
Alejandro Medina, grew up in Santa Barbara, and has strong ties with the region’s food and wine industry. In addition to the Bitoque project he has kept busy wearing multiple hats as the owner and managing partner of Bibi Ji, Santa Barbara's pioneering modern Indian restaurant and natural wine bar. Alejandro opened this in collaboration with James Beard and award-winning sommelier Rajat Parr. He is also involved with JuiceBox, a Colorado-based company specialising in low-intervention wine distribution. The wine program reflects his beliefs and ideologies offering only rare, honest low intervention wines.
Moscatel de Alejandria
Vintage 2019
Style Skin contact
Region Cinti Valley
Varieties Moscatel de Alejandria
ABV 12.8%
Soils Clay, sand
Farming Organic
Winemaking Moscatel is planted at vines at 2400mt. Here the vineyards are dry farmed and all work is carried out manually due to the nature of how the vines are “trained”. The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed and fermented in stainless steel with 30 days of maceration on the skins. The wine is then transferred to demijohns and during the ageing process it started developing a thin layer of flor. The wine is left under the veil for two and half years followed by bottling using gravity in March 2022.
Tasting Note An incredibly unique aromatics reminiscent of apricot jam, dried jasmine tea, spiced apple, fresh honey and glossy finish.
Negra Criolla
Vintage 2019
Style Red
Region Cinty Valley
Varieties Negra Criolla
ABV 12.4%
Soils Clay, sand
Farming Organic
Winemaking The vines are grown at dizzying heights of 2,400mt above sea level. These are dry farmed vineyards and no machinery or chemicals are used. The ancient Negra Criolla vines are the last grape to ripen of the three and grow on local trees named Molles (pink peppercorn) which contributes to a peppery edge in the wine. The grapes are hand harvested, de-stemmed and spontaneously fermented in 500L stainless steel tanks on the skins for 21 days.
After fermentation, the wine is moved to 25L demijohns and eventually bottled by gravity in March 2021.
Tasting Note
Viscoqueña
Vintage 2019
Style Red
Region Cinti Valley
Varieties Vischoqueña
ABV 12.6%
Soils Clay, sand
Farming Permaculture
Winemaking The Vischoqueña is generally harvested before the Negra Criolla. Similarly to the Criolla, the vines here are also grown at 2400mt altitudes and are dry farmed. Vines are allowed to roam wild, fully untrained and unpruned and grow on local trees.
Grapes are de-stemmed at the bodega and spontaneously fermented in tanks and is macerated for approximately 30 days. The wine is then moved to 25L demijohns. This is bottled in March of 2021 by hand and gravity without the aid of any additions.
Tasting Note