Yahoo Lifestyle A Rioja Winery Ernest Hemingway Loved Is Still Creating Stellar Whites
If you thought that Rioja was a type of red wine, you could easily be forgiven for your confusion. Although Rioja is known for its bold reds made with the Tempranillo grape, the region is becoming known as a hotbed of white wine as well. It is believed that before phylloxera struck European vineyards in the late 19th century there were more vineyards planted to white varieties than red in Rioja, but that amount steadily declined into the early part of this century. In the past several years, however, there has been a renaissance in white wines from Rioja as consumer tastes have shifted, and white grapes have been on the rise. Made with indigenous grapes such as Viura, Tempranillo Blanco (a naturally occurring white mutation of Tempranillo), Garnacha Blanca, Malvasia de Rioja, and Maturana Blanca as well as international varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, white Rioja is made in a wide range of styles from young, fresh, and fruity to complex and age worthy.
One winery that stands out for its exceptional whites is Bodegas Ollauri-Conde de los Andes, which is one of the longest continuously producing wineries in Rioja. With an uncommon focus on white wine, Conde de los Andes’ extensive library of older vintages offers a rare glimpse into the remarkable potential of white Rioja. The winery’s nearly two miles of underground cellars house hundreds of thousands of bottles dating back to 1892, including semi-sweet whites from 1916 and dry white wine from the 1926 vintage. (Interesting sidenote: Ernest Hemingway, a fan of Conde de los Andes, was a frequent visitor, and a plaque marks his favorite spot in the cellar.) While the average ratio of reds to white in Rioja is 90 percent to 10 percent, general manager Javier Murúa says the winery’s proportions are 70-30, “highlighting the greater emphasis we place on white wine.”
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Thanks to their tradition of reserving 10 to 15 percent of the wines from each harvest in the cellar for posterity, Conde de los Andes has a deep collection of whites from as far back as 1930. Marúa tells Robb Report that “each harvest has its own unique story, making every vintage special” but if he had to choose, he would say the best vintages on hand are from 1930, 1948, 1964, 1983, 2010, and 2016. Some of these have been re-released as part of the winery’s Colleción Histórica (Historic Collection), and we tasted through the 1983, 2010, 2016, and the yet-to-be-released 2021 Conde de los Andes Vino Blanco. While the latter two vintages are 100 percent Viura, the 2010 has a small amount of Rioja Malvasia added and the 1983 contains 10 percent of this grape.
The high aging potential of Viura is primarily due to two factors: its acidity and the presence of polyphenols, organic compounds that are commonly called antioxidants. “Viura has medium acidity that remains stable over time, helping the wine maintain its freshness in both aroma and mouthfeel,” Marúa says. Meanwhile, its polyphenolic composition “provides resistance to oxidation and contributes to its solid structure, resulting in a creaminess and enveloping mouthfeel that becomes more pronounced with age.” He tells a story about the sommelier at Michelin three-star Restaurante Arzak in San Sebastian surprising his group by pouring a bottle of Conde de los Andes Blanco from 1930 for the assembled guests without any introduction. “He said nothing about the wine, only asking for our opinion,” Marúa says. “Everyone agreed that it tasted like it was 50 to 60 years younger than it actually was!”
We can say with authority that the 1983 tastes far fresher and younger than you would expect, as do the 2010 and 2016. There is a through-line of citrus fruit, tropical fruit, soft spice, and minerality that runs from vintage to vintage. While the 1983 is taking on a bit of a golden glow, there was hardly any color differential among the other three bottles. Full-bodied and with a lengthy finish, each vintage presents itself as a true gastronomic wine that can hold its own against full textured seafood dishes, chicken, grilled pork, pasta with cream sauce, mushroom risotto, or even hard-to-pair vegetables like artichokes.
Winemaker Chema Ryan attributes the quality of the winery’s Viura to the diversity of terroir in its vineyards. “We source from seven distinct plots, each with unique soil composition, orientation, vine age, and microclimate,” he says. “While all our soils are calcareous and alkaline, some are richer in clay, providing structure and freshness, while others are sandier, contributing maturity and body.” Grapes from each plot are vinified separately using a wide range of techniques to coax out the best from them. “To enhance complexity, we use various aging methods, including granite, cement, terracotta, and 500-liter French oak barrels,” Ryan says.
While white wines from Rioja are generally consumed young, there is a renewed attention being paid to wines that are meant to mature gracefully and are released after several years of cellar aging, in the tradition of wineries such as Lopez de Heredia, CVNE, and Bodegas Franco-Españolas. “The diversity and potential of Rioja’s white wines are increasingly being recognized,” Marúa says. “White wines have often been overshadowed by reds, and it’s time to give them the recognition they deserve for their incredible qualities.”
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