Navarra – Rioja’s not so little neighbour
The wine region of Navarra, of which the Denominación de Origen has the same name, is east of the Rioja, and north-east of Aragón. It is a very hilly area, and produces greatly differing wines depending on which part of the zone they come from.
When George Rainbird published his (at the time) definitive work ‘Sherry and the Wines of Spain’ in 1966, he devoted just one page to the wines of Navarra compared with 23 pages to the Riojas. (Ribera del Duero did not even get a mention). This is probably quite fair, taking into account the prejudices of the time, and the fact that he likewise gave only another page to Galician wines highlights the fact that 32 years ago the only Spanish wines worth taking seriously were those from Rioja and Jerez.
It was actually in the early ‘60s that I started importing wines from Navarra into the UK, and an uphill struggle it then was. There was no question at the time that here was a serious rival to Rioja but it was held back by lack of promotion and the non-availability of a famous brand name with which wine drinkers could identify. In those far-off days 99% of Spanish wine was plonk and no right-minded person would order a Rioja in a London restaurant if there was a half decent French wine available – which of course there always was.
How times have changed!
Rioja is now struggling to compete with the ‘new’ wine areas, and probably losing the battle. As such its predicament can be compared to that of Bordeaux/Burgundy versus New World Wines. What was once the yardstick by which all other wines were judged has now become a mere also-ran in the vast international wine market, where tradition, for better or worse, has come to count for not much. (I do not expect Frenchmen or shippers of French wines to agree with me!).
The Consejo Regulador (the controlling organisation) of Navarra has helped enormously. They have actively encouraged the introduction of foreign grape varieties such as merlot, cabernet-sauvignon and chardonnay in a way which would never have been possible ten years ago. But it is, rightly or wrongly, the rosado wines which have made the area famous, since no-one took much notice of it before this type became better-known outside the immediate wine-producing area. It certainly helped get the region noticed in advance of when it may otherwise have been.
Certainly, when I used to visit the ferias of the region (Estella, Los Arcos, Pamplona, etc) the standard drink everywhere was – and still is – clarete. This is a light-coloured red wine, what many people would call a rosado, although there are always arguments about whether in fact it is red or rosé. Most mornings we would visit the local bodegas and, invariably, without asking, the foreman would fill a plastic jug (no niceties here) with wine from the nearest wooden butt and we would sit around drinking it until it was time for lunch. In those days it was not the practice to add chemicals to the wine, and the purity was such that a great amount could be consumed with absolutely nil after-effects.
The rosé wines from Navarra are made from the garnacha grape, and as long ago as the reign of Felipe II, Enrique Cock, the king’s shipbuilder, praised them. Personally, I’m of the opinion that other Spanish regions can produce rosados which are as good, or even better than, those from Navarra, particularly Cigales. So, although Navarra was always famous for its rosado wines, and indeed still is, the reds and whites are now well-worth searching out.
Many of the region’s wineries were established centuries ago, and although a few, such as Vinicola Navarra (founded in 1864 and part of Grupo Bodegas y Bebidas since 1982) have been absorbed, there are many that are still independent. Leading among these is Julian Chivite, which has actually expanded outside the area by acquiring a Rioja winery, that of Viña Salceda, bought with the financing of the Dutch Rabobank for 3,600 million pesetas. Others are Monjardín, Palacio de Muruzabal, Guelbenzu, Magaña, Irache, Principe de Viana and Sarriá. Nevertheless much of the wine is produced by co-operatives, of which there are dozens.
Chivite’s products are probably the easiest to find, since there is a wide range of wines, of which the flagship label is the Colección 125. These range from the superb Tinto Gran Reserva 92 to a barrel-fermented Chardonnay 96, which should be kept for another 3-4 years. These wines are not cheap. However, the Rosado Gran Feudo is more reasonable, as is the Gran Feudo Tinto Crianza 95, and the Gran Feudo Chardonnay 97.
The variety of wines produced by Julian Chivite is impressive and the bodega, founded in 1647 and still family-run, is well-known for its progressive approach to wine-making and its ongoing policy of expansion.
Navarra wines can be found at many outlets, although price is often put before quality when most supermarkets offer them.
