Wine from designation D.O. Navarra

The first documented vine growing and wine making records in Navarre are from the period in which the region was dominated by the Romans, with traces and evidence having been found in the towns of Olite, Cascante and Funes. According to some, Pompeyo, the founder of Pamplona, supplied his troops with Navarra wines, and Navarra wine were already well know beyond the Pyrenees.

Then, the creation of the first monasteries (Leyre, Irache, La Oliva, FItero) helped further the progress of the vines, with trade flourishing through busy European pilgrim routes. Medieval pilgrims were fortunate to enjoy many fine wine routes, with the Camino de Santiago that took them across  the best wine payments of  the Middle Ages, from the Rhine to the Rhone, from the Seine to the Garonne, from the Ebro to the Douro. It is important to remember that at the time the kingdom of Navarre occupied an extensive wine region, extending from the heart La Rioja (Nájera) to Bordeaux. The kingdom of Navarre hospital offered pilgrims fine wines during the eleventh century. The charitable monastery of Roncesvalles even produced during the Middle Ages up to 40,000 liters of wine annually.

During the 14^th century the wines from Navarre were exported to Normandy, but it was during the sixteenth century that the local wine industry really began to flourish, with the red and rosés wines of the region being enjoyed across the colonies of the New World. Wine production during the century was already so abundant that the legend has it that there were many churches (Allo, Peralta, Artajona, etc.) that were built or were restored using cement kneaded with wine. The wine was also considered a remedy against disease. Through the port of San Sebastian reds and clarets were exported to London. By contrast, the mainland trade was scarce, since the customs protectionism prevented the passage of Navarra wines to Castile and Aragon.

During the seventeenth century, Navarra was home to around 18,500 hectares of vineyards, almost the same amount that comes under the current D.O Navarra. That area almost tripled during the nineteenth century, when the region saw an influx of French producers who had seen their lands and vineyards devastated by the phylloxera outbreak. However, as the cultivation of vines intensified in the south, it was being lost at latitudes north of Pamplona.

The vine was the principal crop of the farmers in Pamplona, to such an extent that it was necessary to limit the land dedicated to vineyards in order to cultivate cereals, necessary to feed the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Navarre. At its peak, the region was home to 50,000 hectares of vineyards, however in 1896, the region also suffered from the outbreak of phylloxera. Of the 50,000 hectares under cultivation in Navarre, 48,500 were destroyed.

In 1912 the National Exhibition of Viticulture was held in Pamplona, presided over by King Alfonso XIII. In the early 20^th century, the region saw a gradual revival in viticulture after being ruined by the phylloxera outbreak. Catholic agricultural cooperatives, led by the Rerum Novarum, was honoured in Navarra. In 1911, the Cooperative of Olite was founded, followed by the Cooperatives of San Martin de Unx, Tafalla, Allo, Cintruénigo, etc. Following this example, the cooperative movement grew considerably during the 1950s and ´60s, reclaiming large areas of land for vineyards, where rosé wines produced with the Grenache grape variety dominated, up until the end of the 20^th century.

D.O. Navarra was officially recognised in 1975, and from then on red and white wines began to claim back their noble lineage, with assistance from the “Estación de Viticultura y Enología de Navarra (EVENA)” (Viticulture and Oenology of Navarra), which was established in Olite in 1981. D.O. Navarra is located in the northeast of Spain, in the Chartered Community of Navarre, and extends from the south of the community capital, Pamplona, to the Ebro river basin.

D.O Navarra is currently home to 11,700 hectares of registered vineyards and 89 wineries. The introduction of the D.O Navarra saw many changes implemented in the vineyards, as well as in the wineries. Initially, change was not easy in a traditionally conservative region dominated by cooperatives. However over time, the spirit of progress and competition delved deep into the vineyards of Navarre, cultivated by smaller scale independent producers. 

Facilities in the region were improved and expanded, especially in private wineries. Cooperatives too experiences a change of pace, with the introduction of cutting-edge technology, stainless steel tanks for fermentation at a controlled temperature, while bottles, labels and brands were redesigned.

Not lacking institutional support, reforms and rennovation in the region were carried out over years with heavy investment, and immediate results. The red wines produced in the region began to attract the interest of all experts; they were slightly less alcoholic, fruitier, and slightly more varied and personal. Although white wine in the region has not reached the same heights of prestige as the red, there are some Chardonnay and Viura wines that

At the moment, the white wine has not reached as much prestige as red, although there are some Chardonnay and some traditional white Viura that deserve our attention.

But D.O Navarra region had to learn to bear the weight of its recent history, reputation and fame concerning rosé wines. This reputation came to be in the 1980’s, when La Rioja became the home of red wines, while the Penedés and Galicia took the Crown for young and fruity white wines. Although the region was know before for its rosé and inexpensive wines, the renewal of the vineyard and the entry of new varieties, the wine scene gradually began to change in the early nineties, and given the wines that are now being produced in the reigon, it is clear that since then some white and red Navarre wines already among the best in Spain.

Climate, Soils and Grape Varieties

Like the D.O La Rioja, Navarra is extends across the Ebro river plain, especially in the south of the province, stretching up the Pamplona in the north. The D.O is divided into five different sub sections,

Baja Montaña. This zone is located in the east of Navarre, bordering with Aragon. It is home to over 1,520 hectares of vineyards, dominated by the Grenache grape which accounts for 50% of production, followed by the Tempranillo which accounts for 25%. A zone marked by a pronounced relief, with abundant low wood vegetation. The few areas of cultivable land are dominated by vineyards. Soils in the region are reddish or yellowish, often gravelly, corresponding to the upper reaches of the river Aragon, limestone too in most cases. This zone is located between the sub-humid zone to the north and the high, dry zone to the south with mean annual precipitation variations ranging from 470 to 760 mm.

Valdizarbe. In central Navarre, to the south of the Pamplona basin, constituting the nerve centre of the Way of St James through Navarre, where the route from Baja Navarre merges with that from Aragon. This zone is bordered on the west by the spurs of the Sierra de Andía and, to the north, by the Sierra del Perdón, most of the Valdizarbe zone runs alongside the river Arga, forming a zone of gentle hills and valleys. This zone is home to 920 hectares of registered vineyards, where a range of grape varieties are grown. Amongst the reds, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet and Merlot all have similar surface areas, whilst there is also some Chardonnay and Malvasía. The soils in the region are similar to those in the Baja Montaña zone, where the soils are prominently dark-chalky with some areas of brown soils at higher altitudes in Muruzábel and Oloriz, with variegated calcareous loamy soils in the Mañeru area. With regard to the climate, this zone forms the northern boundary for vineyards in Navarre and is the most humid one. Here, like Tierra Estella, the northern Sierras limit the influence of the Atlantic and the vineyards tend to occupy the sunniest spots.

Tierra Estrella. Set on the western strip of Navarre, along the Way of St James, bordering the Basque Country and La Rioja. Crossed by the river Ega and bounded by the Sierra of Urbasa, the pronounced relief in the north gradually smooths out to the south where the vineyards are intermingled with olive and cereal plantations. The region is home to 1,800 registered vineyards. Tempranillo is the most prominent grape variety grown in the region, accounting for 50% of the vineyards, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and, for the whites, the Chardonnay is the most prominent variety. The zone comprises a mixture of soils, depending on relief and rock type, similar to those in the Valdizarbe zone. With regard to the climate, Tierra Estella is located between the sub-humid zone in the north and the exceedingly dry zone to the south, with some mean annual precipitation variations of between 454 to 700 mm. The Urbasa and Andia Sierras to the north filter the influence of the Atlantic ocean, with the vineyards preferably located in the sunniest spots.

Ribera Alta. Situated in the middle belt of Navarre, in the transitional area towards the southern region, with an important wine growing centre around Olite. This is a zone with a gentle relief to the north and around the river Ega, and which gradually flattens out towards the south, where the grapevines grow alongside cereal plantations. The zone is home to 4,125 hectares of of vineyards. Again, the Tempranillo is predominant, with a wide range of other red wine varieties too, notably the Graciano. As for whites, this zone is noted for having the highest percentage of Chardonnay in the region and a certain amount of Moscatel. Concerning the soils, there are large amount of limestone soils of Eocene and Miocene origin, apart from the alluvial river basin, there is also reddish and sandstone soils. With regard to the climate, this is a transitional zone located between the upper dry zone and the semi-arid one, in which the climatic transitions are very gradual, as its relief is somewhat flat. Far from the influences of the ocean and Pyrenees, this is a hotter zone than the more northern ones. It has a mean annual precipitation of between 507 mm and 349 mm and the annual water deficit for the vineyard is around 200 - 300 mm.

D.O Navarra is home to a wide range of grape varieties, dominated by the red varieties which account for 94% of production. The grapes are used to produce wines of all styles, adapted for the different tastes of consumers: from rosés, young and oaked whites, young and aged reds, sweet wines and Cavas. Over 70% of the vineyards are occupied with native varieties, while the other 30% are home to international grape varities. The authorised red grape varieties authorised include Más del 70% del viñedo lo ocupan las variedades autóctonas, mientras que el 30% restante está compuesto por variedades internacionales.Grenache, Graciano, Mazuelo, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah, while white varieties include Chardonnay, Viura, Garnacha Blanca, Malvasia, Moscatel de Grano Menudo and Sauvignon Blanc.

DO Navarra wines and wineries

DO Navarra is home to many cooperatives, large wineries, as well as smaller sized family wineries, so our selection of wineries focuses on those that really add something to the range of wines to come from DO Navarra.

Señorío de Otazu. Founded in 1860, the winery was constructed in the 19th century, recreating  the architectural style reminiscent of a French châteaux. It was the first winery in Navarra to be built outside a town and in on a single seperate estate. It is one of the most northern vineyards in Spain to produce red wines. It is located in the Pamplona basin, surrounded by the Sierra del Perdon and the Sierra de Echauri, on the left bank of the Arga river. The wines produced by the winery are made exclusively with grapes from their 115 hectares of vineyards. The winery produces five different wines; three reds, one white and one rosé, all classified under the DO Navarra. Vitral and Altar, the winery’s high end wines, have their own names and are produced manually. Otazu Premium Cuvée, Chardonnay and Otazu Otazu Rosado, are wines made through a partially manual process, are younger and are the gateway to the wonderful world of Otazu wines. The winery also produces wines under DOP Pago de Otazu, where currently 99% of its vineyards are classified as vides de Pago and they produce two wines: Señorío de Otazu tinto and Señorío de Otazu Chardonnay Fermentado en Barrica.

Nekeas. This winery was founded in 1989, when eight families in the town of Añorbe planted 150 hectares of vinyards. As soon as the vineyards began to produce fruit, the Nekeas winery was built. However, it wasn’t until later in 1992 when production and marketing of the wines began. Despite not being one of the oldest wineries in the area, Nekeas has managed to combine the traditional winemaking traditions of th region, new and modern techniques nd the most advanced knowledge in the world of wine. The winery is currently home to over 225 hectares, from which it produces its young (jóvenes), crianza and reserva wines. Their range of wines includes Izar, which is only made during special vintages, as well as their Vino de Pago El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa, a single varietal Grenache wine made from old vines, with aromas of ripe fruit and sweetened which includes many species (black pepper, clove) and fresh balsam (fennel, anise), with an elegant background of vanilla. Full and silky with ripe fruit (raspberry, strawberry) and some fine tannins. 

Señorio de Sarría. Although oficially founded in 1953, the history of Señorio de Sarría can be traced back to the sixteenth century when Juan de Azpilicueta, brother of San Francisco Javier, had a palace of weapons in the “Señorío de Sarría” (Lordship of Sarria), which was surrounded by vineyards. The winery is nestled in the heart of the Valdizarbe valley, and is home to over 100 hectares of vineyards, distributed on the slopes of the Sierra de Perdón along the banks of the river Arga. The vineyards are home to a range of white and red grape varieties on vines of different ages. The Garnacha and Graciano grapes, for example, grow on vines that are around 50 years old, while the Merlot grapes grow on vines that are little over a decade old. Currently the winery produces two ranges of wines under the main Señorío de Sarria Brand. The first range is slightly more traditional, a Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, a rosé and white wine, as well as the Señorío de Sarría Reserva Especial. The second range, which has been dubbed Viñedo, which was launched slightly later, with the aim of extracting the best from their own vineyards, with a red, a blend Graciano, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a light barrel ageing, a very expressive rosé and a barrel fermented white wine. 

Artazu. Founded in 1996, this relatively new winery, and its beginnings are linked to a project by Juan Carlos López de Lacalle (Artadi) in Navarra. His aim was to unlock the potential and enhance the Garnacha grape, and in 1996 began to thoroughly study the behavior and development of this variety in the northernmost region of Navarra. The first vintage from Artazu wasn´t actually created until 2000, however this relatively young company has managed to gain great prestif and notoriety in recent years.  Both facilities this winery and its vineyards are located in the municipality of Artazu, an ancient and renowned wine village. The winery cultivates around 15 hectares of Grenache vineyards, where the vines are on average over 60 years old. Their most notable plots include Santa Cruz, which has been used to create one of their higher quality wines. Among their wines includes the red wine Santa Cruz de Artazu and Pasos de San Martín.

Castillo de Monjardín.  This winery is situated in the Valle de San Esteban, in the Tierra Estella zone. The winery was set up in the late 80’s, when it was decided to replant plots of land with different grape varieties, slowly reaching the 220 hectares of vineyards that the winery is home to today. The vineyards lie at an average altitude of 600metres. Since the beginning, the winery has understood the importance of quality over quantity, opting to grow and recover vines that give a high quality, despite their lower productivity. Among their white wines include their Chardonnay, Chardonnay Reserva, their barrel fermented Chardonnay, as well as their star wine, Esencia Monjardín, a white wine made with grapes from the Auza winery, situated in Villamayor de Mojardín. This is a naturally sweet wine, made with overripe grapes, offering aromas of compote, figs, honey and a slightly acidic finish that far from being heavy, makes the wine extremely elegant. Concerning their red wines, they produce a full range in all styles, with special attention placed on single variety wines and vino de pago.

Bodegas Valcarlos. Founded in 2001, this is a relatively new winery and is part of the Faustino Group. It is located in the town of Los Arcos, in the Tierra Estrella zone. The winery is home to 55 hectares of vineyards, spread between the towns of Los Arcos and Torres del Rio, at an average altitude of 445 metres. The main building of the winery is characterised by a large central dome that culminates in a circular tower. This construct was designed to symbolise the the vats and barrels used during the winemaking process. Within the wide range of wines offered by the winery, there are two distinct brands that can be found on the market: Marqués de Valcarlos (crianza red, rosé and white), and Fortius, single variety Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon crianzas.

Bodegas Fernandez de Arcaya. This wine was founded back in 1990 and is situated amid a 4 hectare estate in Los Arcos, on the Camino de Santiago. The main goal of its founders, brothers Joaquín and Miguel Fernandez Arcaya, was to vinify the grapes that came form the vineyards of their family, situated in Los Arcos, El Busto, Sansol and Villamayor de Monjardín. The winery now spans 54 hectares. The main goal of its founders, Joaquín and Miguel Fernandez Arcaya brothers, was vinify the grapes from the family vineyard, located on the terms of Los Arcos, El Busto, Sansol and Villamayor de Monjardin. It is about 54 hectares, which gradually and since 1982 have replaced some old vines. Within its range of wines, they are known for their Kosher wines, which are prepared under the strict supervision of the Chief Rabbi of Barcelona. The winery also produces Viña Perguita, Condesa de Garín, and of course, their Fernandez Arcaya range.

Bodegas Ochoa is a family winery situated in Olite, and is perhaps one of the oldest producers in the region. The winery is currently home to 143 hectares of vineyards. The oldest vines at the winery can be found at the situated closer to the Olite winery, while the majority of the vines are planted at the Finca El Bosque in Traibuenas, a natural enclave situated a few kilometers south of Olite, at an altitude of 400 meters. As for their range of wines, Bodegas Ochoa maintains a strong tradition with reserva wines, while constantly innovating their young and single variety wines. Their young wines include, Ochoa Tinto Garnacha & Tempranillo, Ochoa Rosado Garnacha and Ochoa Blanco Viura & Chardonay. Their special young wines include Ochoa Graciano-Garnacha y Ochoa Rosado de Lágrima. As for their crianzas and reservas, we have Ochoa Tempranillo, Ochoa Cabernet Sauvignon, Ochoa Merlot, Ochoa Reserva and Ochoa Gran Reserva. Finally, their slightly special wines, are Ochoa Vendimia Seleccionada and el Ochoa Vino Dulce de Moscatel, always stands out for its aromatic potential and the right balance between sweetness, fruitiness and freshness.

Viña Magaña. This winery was founded in 1968, with the aim of producing high quality red wines with european profiles. Infact, the Magaña brothers, who initially had also had a side business in selling clones from different parts of plants, were pioneers in introducing foreign red grape varieties to Navarra. The majority of their 100 hectares of vineyards are cultivated by the winery´s star variety: Merlot, which serves as the basis of all the wines made by the winery. The vineyards also include other grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo. One of the main attractions of the winery is their modern facilities, which are located in the town of Barillas and were designed by the famous architect Rafael Moneo. The first wines produced are the now prestigious Viña Magaña, as well as their single variety Merlot gran reserva. Other wines produced by the winery include Dignus, Torcas, Barón de Magaña and Calchetas, the last of which reflects Juan Magaña’s  passion and infatuation for the red Bordeaux style. It is aromatically fruity, with an instant impact. It is aged for 20 months in the barrel, with a decent palate, a good tannic backbone, and generous notes of ripe and black fruit.

Príncipe de Viana. Although this winery was founded in 1983, the history of the principality dates back far further, when it was the title of the heir of the Kingdom of Navarre. It was instituted by Charles III for his grandson Charles, born of the marriage between his daughter Blanche I of Navarre and John II of Aragon. The winery is situated in the municipality of Murchante, with its facilities spanning and impressive 1,000m². The winery is also home to 400 hectares of vineyards in the Albret estate. Príncipe de Viana is defined by its innovative character. Their range of wines includes the Príncipe de Viana 1423, perhaps their star wine, which commemorates the years when King Carlos III the noble instituted the title in honour of his grandson, Carlos de Eyreux. Their other range of wines are the “Clásicos”,with a white wine under the label of Edición Blanca (a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc), as well as a collection of four single variety reds. The Albret winery belongs to the same group, with a collection of rosé, red and white wines, produced with Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Garnacha and Chardonnay. Their wines are only produced during exceptional harvests, including their wine Viña de mi Madre, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (95%) and Merlot (5%), which is aged for 21 months in French oak barrels.

Julián Chivite. Founded in 1647, this is perhaps one of the oldes wineries in Spain. The surname originates from the Ebro Valley, with the first members of this family arriving in Navarra in the sixteenth century, although the story their journey into winemaking was not documented until the seventeenth century. In the late eighteenth century, José Chivite became a key figure in the development of the company, with his entrepreneurial talent and a definite gift for risk management inspire him to engage in collecting the taxes that the wine producers and merchants have to pay for all wine imported or in the district of Cintruénigo. Today the winery is currently home to over 500 hectares of Vinyards in three different three different winemaking zones in Navarra; Alberin, Marcilla and Cintruénigo. The winery cultivates a wide range of grape varieties, from Garnacha, Mazuela and Moscatel de la Ribera, up to Tempranillo, Chardonnay and Merlots, all on vines that are often over 50 years old. Julián Chivite currently produces its collection of wines in three different ranges: Chivite Colección 125, Chivite de Finca Vilatuerta and Chivite Las Fincas. The Chivite Colección 125 range was launched in 1985 to commemorate the first exports in 1860. The collection is composed of a white, sweet white, rosé and red wine, while the production is limited. The Chivite de Finca Vilatuerta range presents three new wines (a white, red and reserva especial) from the vineyards of Tierra Estella, on the hillsides of the Granja de Legardeta Estate, in the municipality of Villatuerta. Chivite Las Fincas is a collaboration with Juan Mari Arzak, a renowned Spanish chef. It is a rosé wine that is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha, grown on the Finca de Legardeta which has been in the hands of the family for many years. In addition to Julian Chivite winery in Cintruénigo, the company also has other facilities inthe Navarran town of Aberin (Viñedos y Bodegas del Señorío de Arínzano) and Rioja (Bodega Viña Salceda).

Marco Real. This winery was founded in the late ´80´s by Antoni Catalán together with a group of friends and collaborators of his hotel chain. The winery now belongs to the Belasco family, owner of the Grupo La Navarra, who quickly managed to rejuvenate the sales of the winery, selling the Marco Real wines both in Spain and abroad.  The winery is currently home to 200 hectares of vineyards, situated in the towns of Torres del Río, Olite, Santacara and Corella. The winery produces many varieties of wines, including young reds, rosés, whites, as well as crianzas and reservas under the brands of Homenaje, Marco Real, Señorío de Andión, offering both single variety and blended wines.

Pago de Larrainzar. This winery was founded in 1996 by the Canalejo Lasarte family. This winery is home to 15 hectares of vineyards situated around the winery, on clayey and sandy soils with stones, situated at altitudes of 575, on an estate adjcent the Monastery of Irache. The prestigious oenologist Ignacio de Miguel is technical director of the winery. The winery produces the wines Pago de Larrainzar, and Raso de Larrainzar, the latter of was first released during the 2007, a single variety Tempranillo with a shorter ageing. La dirección técnica está a cargo del prestigioso enólogo Ignacio de Miguel.His latest innovation is the red A Mis Amigos, a blend of three different grape varieties Tempranillo (70%), Merlot (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and is aged for 13 months in French oak barrels.  

Bodegas San Martín. This winery was founded over a century ago in 1914 in the town of San Martín de Unx, in the Baja Montaña zone. After the union of a group of partners in 2001, the winery began a new era with the opening of their new facilities. The winery is currently home to 600 hectares of vineyards, mostly home to the native Garnacha grape variety, with an average age of 25 years. The company produces their wines under the brands llegares (a white, red and rosé), a crianza and reserva (both 100% tempranillo) under the brand Señorio de Unx, as well as the Alma de Unx, a single variety Garnacha wine that undergoes malolactic fermentation in oak barrels and is aged for 7 months.

Domaines Lupier. This winery sets an example for vinos de terroir. Situated in Santin Martín de Unx, in the Baja Montaña, the winery is the project of Enrique Basarte and Elisa Úcar, who understand that the a great wine is made at the vineyard. The pair sifted through and examined the terroirs of different areas until they found it they wanted and bought twenty old Grenache small vineyards with different soils, orientations and altitudes. The winery produces two reds, the Domaines Lupier El Terroir and Domaines Lupier La Dama, both with old Grenache planted in 1903 and 14 months aging in French oak barrels.