Spain - Navarra
- Jacqueline de Gouw
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Navarra is one of the seventeen Autonomous Communities of Spain. It lies in northern Spain, east of the Basque Country, south of France, north of La Rioja, and west of Aragon. Navarra is also a producer of excellent wines, which are unfortunately often underestimated. While the Spanish themselves were once primarily familiar with the robust rosés (rosados) from the region, these days it's the red and white wines that stand out.
Bodegas Inurietta began as a project in 1999; three years later, the ultramodern bodega was built. Utilizing an abundance of old-vine vineyards in the immediate vicinity of the bodega, Inurrieta quickly gained a reputation for the high quality of its wines. Despite its enormous growth, the level has only continued to improve. Today, the name Inurrieta stands for wines with character. The meticulous care—almost pampering—that each vineyard receives guarantees that all wines reveal the original expression of the fruit, the land, and Navarra's climatic conditions.
It's now proven that they make fantastic wine. They're winning award after award. This includes awards from The Wine Enthusiast Magazine for the Inurrita Puro Vicio 2020 , the Inurrita Mimao Garnacha 2021 , the Inurrita Norte 2021 , and the oak-aged Inurrita Orchidea Sauvignon Blanc cuvee . They also have many other delicious wines. You can find them in our wine webshop. All wines are DO Navarra.
All Inurrieta wines are available for purchase through the wine shop
My visit to Bodega Tandem in the Yerri Valley gave me insight into a completely natural winemaking method with minimal intervention in the process itself. This means not only organic viticulture, but also gravity-fed winemaking. No oxygen is used here. This results in a fantastic organic vegan wine, and I'd put an exclamation mark on it.
The Yerri Valley has a continental climate, strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which is only 50 km away. This influence is crucial, as it gives the grapes the optimal opportunity to mature slowly, resulting in an elegant, fresh wine with beautiful acidity. CEO José Maria Fraile guided me through the entire estate and, together with winemaker Alicia Eyaralar, explained their winemaking methods.
The Tempranillo, Grenache, Graciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Viura, and Viognier grapes (a very special variety) come from 85-year-old vineyards. After pressing, the grapes and their lees are stored in concrete/stainless steel tanks where they remain for several months or years. Some wines are aged in 300-liter French oak barrels. All wines are made with such love, gentleness, and patience that it's understandable that Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker give these wines such high ratings. I was very impressed, and below you'll find their wines, which are available for purchase in the wine shop on the website. All wines are DO Navarra.
Tandem Immacula Viognier , Tandem Inmunue 2021 garnacha , Tandem Arts Invitro 2018 tempranillo , Tandem Ars Nova 2015 blend of tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon and merlot , Tandem Macula 2014 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot , Tandem Invoca 2020 garnacha , Tandem Incolume garnacha and the Tandem Ars Memoria 2015 cabernet sauvignon
Comments