Bichi "Mistico" 2019

Direct Press Selection | February 2022

• Press 4 Red 

We love Bichi, and we're so happy to have enough of one of their wines to put in the club this month. Founded in 2014, Bichi has become the leader of the Mexican natural wine movement, producing vibrant, living wines that are always fun and playful. Noel Téllez left his job as a layer to move to Baja to focus on farming and crafting these naked wines, and hasn't looked back since, building a ravenous following in the states and internationally.

Mistico is a field blend of all sorts of different red and white grapes from Tecate and Valle de Guadalupe. Mostly Nebbiolo and Tempranillo, but who the hell knows the breakdown of all the stuff that goes into this. All of the grapes are destemmed and fermented in 450L concrete tinajas with 2-3 weeks of maceration. Once pressed, the wine ages in old oak barrels and stainless steel, bottled unfiltered with just a teeny tiny bit of sulfur.

This is perhaps the most approachable wine in the Bichi line up. Aromatically, it's a bit gamey, but has a joyful red and black fruits and herbal sagey elements that invite the drinker in. Spicy, smoky and fresh, the ripe fruit and rustic tannins create the perfect structure to build a meal around this pure Mexican wine. [Kirk Sutherland, February 2022]