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The constant evolution of the European wine landscape fortunately continues to yield discoveries that astonish even the most critical palate. Today we present three estates whose meticulous work in the vineyard and extraordinary approaches to vinification represent the most exciting developments in their respective regions.
Roberto Oliván has forged a highly individual path in the high-altitude vineyards of Rioja Alavesa. István Bencze reinterprets the volcanic terroir of Szent György-hegy by Lake Balaton with impressive clarity. And in Zellenberg, Alsace, Jolene Hunter and Paul McKirdy craft wines of ethereal elegance that expand the classical understanding of the region. What unites these three producers is their uncompromising pursuit of precision – both in the vineyard and in the cellar.
Tentenublo – A new dimension of Rioja Alavesa
Roberto Oliván has taken a remarkably independent approach in Rioja Alavesa. His thirty plots at the Tentenublo estate, spread across ten hectares in the high-altitude vineyards of Viñaspre, form a fascinating mosaic of diverse terroirs. The persistent wind sweeping through the vineyards at 620 metres not only creates a healthy microclimate but also shapes the precise, almost crystalline character of the wines.
The biodynamic farming is carried out with remarkable meticulousness. Each plot is vinified separately, with spontaneous fermentation conducted exclusively using indigenous yeasts in open stainless steel tanks. The extraction, achieved through traditional punch-downs, reveals Oliván’s keen sense of the perfect balance between structure and elegance.
Particularly impressive is Oliván’s single-vineyard wine “Escondite del Ardacho Veriquete”, which captures the essence of the highest plots at 650 metres. Here, Garnacha vines over 80 years old are rooted in pure limestone, yielding a wine of extraordinary finesse.
Spontaneous fermentation with 60% whole bunches and 14 months of maturation in used 500-litre casks result in a fascinating interpretation of Garnacha: transparent ruby red in the glass, with a complex bouquet of red forest berries, wild herbs and a subtle mineral note.
On the palate, the wine captivates with its silky texture and vibrant acidity – a wine that places the transparency of the terroir above extraction and concentration.
Bencze Bartok – Volcanic Precision at Lake Balaton
At the majestic Szent György-hegy, István Bencze has been writing a particularly exciting chapter in Hungarian wine history at his estate Bencze Birtok since 2011. His three distinctive single vineyards – “Másfél”, “Hétésfél” and “Kilencésfél” – offer a fascinating spectrum of volcanic terroirs, situated at altitudes between 118 and 180 metres. The solid basalt in the higher sites lends the wines a characteristic minerality, whilst the iron-rich brown earth in the lower sites provides additional complexity.
The solid basalt in the higher sites lends the wines a characteristic minerality.
– Bencze Bartok
István’s uncompromising natural wine philosophy is founded on meticulous vineyard work. Only thus does he achieve crystalline textures, despite minimal intervention. Biodynamic farming is not viewed here as a marketing tool, but as an essential building block for producing authentic wines. Harvesting is done by hand in several passes, with the optimal ripeness determined individually for each lot.
Particularly noteworthy is his work with amphorae, which allow for gentle micro-oxygenation whilst preserving the purity of fruit expression. His “Autochthon”, an interpretation of the nearly forgotten Resborte Kéknyelű, exemplarily demonstrates the potential of this vinification method.
The wines remain unfiltered and unfined – an approach that demands the utmost precision in both vineyard and cellar.
Hunter|McKirdy – Alsatian finesse reimagined
In the tranquil village of Zellenberg, Jolene Hunter and Paul McKirdy have made a remarkable start by acquiring 3.5 hectares of prime vineyard land from Marc Tempé. The Jurassic-era limestone-marl soils they share with the renowned Sud Revermont provide ideal conditions for wines of exceptional precision.
Their vineyard work focuses less on potential alcohol than on achieving a pH of 3.2 and optimal acid ripeness – an approach reflected in the remarkable balance of their wines, which typically sit at a moderate 12.5% alcohol. New plantings at a density of 14,000 vines per hectare underscore their pursuit of maximum complexity.
Vinification at Hunter | McKirdy fascinatingly combines elements from Champagne and Burgundy. An eight-hour pressing in a hydraulic wooden press yields must of exceptional clarity. Subsequent ageing in ten-year-old Burgundian barrels, with full malolactic fermentation on the gross lees, gives the wines their distinctive texture.
Their “Les Champs des Roches”, a Riesling from gravel soils, exemplifies the quality of their work. Its mineral depth, paired with an ethereal elegance, makes this wine one of the most exciting new interpretations of Alsatian terroir. The “Sous les Coudriers” from Pinot Gris also impresses with its floral intensity and precise structure.
These three estates, however different their approaches may be, are united by their uncompromising pursuit of quality and their profound understanding of the particularities of their respective terroirs: Oliván, who in the often traditional Rioja is shaping an entirely new style of Garnacha from his 30 individual plots and cool high-altitude sites, oscillating between old and new. István Bencze, who on the shores of Lake Balaton has rediscovered the nearly forgotten Kéknyelű and found its purest expression in amphorae. And the duo Hunter & McKirdy, who with Burgundian precision and long pressing times lend Alsatian Riesling a texture hitherto unknown.
Our new arrivals from Alsace, Rioja Alavesa and Lake Balaton.