©2006, The Birmingham Post
The wines of Navarre are often overshadowed by its bigger and better-known neighbour, Rioja, but whilst its neighbour remains a stalwart of tradition, Navarre is a region engrossed in innovation. Historically best known for its delicious rosados, there is the freedom to adopt international varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, often used in blends with the native Tempranillo and Garnacha. In terms of white wine, Chardonnay has gained increasing favour.
The capital of the province is Pamplona, in north-east Spain, made famous by its Bull Run. The vine-growing area forms a large inverted triangle, south of the city which, alongside its western edges, intermingles with the region of Rioja. Some 95% of the vineyards comprise black grapes, with the greatest part devoted to Garnacha (known in France as Grenache).
When the vine louse, phylloxera, struck the region in the late 19th century, the vineyard area shrank from 49,000 hectares to a little over 700 hectares, within the space of 5 years. It has never fully recovered, and the area under vine is now around 18,000 hectares, about one-third the size of Rioja.
Prior to phylloxera, the leading variety was Tempranillo, but this lost favour and was replaced with Garnacha, which is particularly prized for making Rosados. The more recent past has seen the restoration of Tempranillo, but also the introduction of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for reds, and the use of Chardonnay for white wines.
Although Navarre has an ancient wine history, its modern wines are amongst the most exciting and innovative, principally due to the pioneering work carried out by its research station, Evena. It has plantations throughout the region, and has the latest techniques for performance evaluation, passing on the results to the local wineries.
Bodegas Ada was established as recently as 2003, and typifies the exciting developments occurring in Navarre. A business consortium sought out parcels of old vines capable of producing wines of exceptional quality and identified the local co-operative in Lerga.
Adopting the Minotaur logo, representing strength and intelligence, the winery was extensively refurbished. The grapes were still sourced from the same local growers, albeit with improved technical advice. The result is a minerally fresh Rosado, and a delicious entry-level Azul (blue label), tasting of black cherry. Their top-level Rojo from Garnacha and Tempranillo shows more intensity and concentration. All the wines were competitively priced but, alas, there is no UK representation at present.
By contrast, Ochoa are a long-established family company, owning around 140 hectares of vineyard around the village of Olite, the site of a fortified palace, once residence to the kings of Navarre and now a Parador. The head of the family, Javier, worked in France as an oenologist and is a leading figure in the region.
The style is modern Navarre, with deference to classic varieties, yet there is a willingness to experiment with new blends. The reds comprise blends from Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Cabernet and Merlot, and the whites are from Chardonnay, Viura and Moscatel. The entire range has a good reputation, and the sweet Moscatel in particular, is fresh and delicious.
Both Tanners and Majestic list the Ochoa Tempranillo 2002 at £6.99. Aged 12 months in American oak, it has flavours of strawberries, plums and cream with a pleasing structure and persistent finish.
Nekeas is an enterprising co-operative founded in 1989, with a number of families raising money to build a winery, and now encompasses some 220 hectares of vineyard. Originally just Garnacha was grown, but this has been supplemented with the usual suspects. The valley enjoys an elevation of up to 600 metres above sea level, and therefore benefits from substantial day-to-night temperature variations, producing fresher and more interesting grape flavours. Their excellent value Viura-Chardonnay 2004 is listed by the Wine Society at £4.50. It's a clean modern style, with fruity flavours of banana, melon and peach.
Senorio de Sarria has undergone a rather chequered past. Without question, one of the most impressive private estates in the region, comprising some 1500 hectares of land, of which 150 are devoted to wines. During the 1990s, the quality nose-dived, and following an investigation, a fungal infection was identified in one of the barrel cellars. The entire stock was turned into vinegar, the barrels were burned, and the floors ripped out and replaced with new wood.
Since then, the winery has returned to form and particularly recommended is their Vinedo No. 7 2002 (Connollys, Laymont & Shaw £7.25) from 100% Graciano. The perfume of blackberries and wood-shavings simply jumps out of the glass. Also recommended is their No. 5 Rosado 2005.
Saving the best till last, Bodegas Julian Chivite, is by far the largest private wine concern in Navarre, with estate holdings of around 550 hectares of vine. Established in 1647, the company is currently run by the eleventh generation family member, Fernando Chivite.
The Gran Feudo range is exemplary, and their Chardonnay is listed at S. H. Jones and Tanners, for around £5.80. The Gran Feudo Reserva red can be found at Waitrose (£6.99), but the jewel in the crown is their 125 Colleccion, now produced at their state-of-the-art winery at Arinzano, opened by the King of Spain in 2002.
Challenging Rioja's supremacy, the 125 Reserva Red is svelte and elegant, demonstrating superb integration of red fruit and Allier oak. It's a classic blend of Tempranillo, supported by Merlot and Cabernet, and the 2000 vintage is available at Bentleys in Ludlow (01584.875520) for £21.95. The barrel-fermented Chardonnay and Late Harvested Moscatel are equally impressive. For further details, contact 01993.844905.
In terms of value, Navarre regularly outperforms its more senior neighbour, producing wines of better quality at a more competitive price. Yet there is more. It's a region receptive to new ideas and prepared to adopt new styles without forsaking its identity. Alvaro Ochoa described his winemaking as that of a "tailor altering the cut of his cloth to suit his client". Certainly that enlightened attitude is representative of Navarre.