Tentenublo

The history of Roberto Oliván's winery is closely interwoven with the windswept highlands of Rioja Alavesa, where the crystal-clear mountain air caresses the centuries-old vines. Here, in the small village of Viñaspre, a district of Lanciego, the dynamic winemaker has realised his lifelong dream - a project that aims to produce the purest expression of this privileged wine-growing region.

Terroir as a destination

The thirty carefully selected plots extend over the highest plateaus in the region, where the barren soils of limestone marl and sandstone give the wines their unmistakable character. The altitude of 620 metres, coupled with the constant wind that keeps the vines naturally healthy, creates ideal conditions for a precise, mineral wine style. The old vines, some up to a hundred years old, are deeply rooted in this barren terrain and produce grapes of exceptional concentration and complexity.

Winemaking philosophy

Oliván's approach is characterised by deep conviction: biodynamic cultivation, minimal intervention, absolute respect for the natural cycle. The vineyard work follows the rhythms of nature, supported by careful manual labour and a deep understanding of the individual sites. Each parcel is vinified separately in order to preserve its individual characteristics. Spontaneous fermentation takes place exclusively with indigenous yeasts in open stainless steel tanks, followed by gentle extraction through traditional punching down of the mash.

The wines in detail

The centrepiece of the collection is the Tentenublo Tinto, a masterful blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. The wine impresses with its deep cherry colour and a complex bouquet of dried herbs, smoky notes and black fruits. A powerful yet elegant interplay of ripe fruit and spicy nuances unfolds on the palate, supported by fine-grained tannins.

The rare Tentenublo Blanco, a fascinating interpretation of the white Rioja tradition, combines Malvasia with Viura and other indigenous varieties to create a multi-layered, mineral white wine of remarkable precision.
The Escondite del Ardacho series represents the quintessence of Oliván's philosophy: single-vineyard wines that translate the different micro-terroirs of the region with exceptional attention to detail. The San José impresses with its ruby red colour and complex red fruit aromas, while El Abundillano exemplifies the diversity of the region with its unique cuvée of Garnacha, Malvasia and Tempranillo.

Future prospects

Roberto Oliván has secured himself a place among the most innovative winemakers in Rioja in an astonishingly short space of time. His wines, which regularly achieve ratings of between 90 and 95 points, have found a loyal international following. Despite the growing demand, production remains deliberately limited - the Tentenublo Tinto, for example, is restricted to around 13,600 bottles.
The future of the winery lies in the further refinement of the terroir-driven approach. Oliván is constantly experimenting with different cultivation methods, always with the aim of capturing the authenticity of its vineyards even more precisely. New plantings are made using the traditional raised gobelet system with wide planting distances, which optimises aeration and makes manual labour easier.
In a region that is increasingly positioning itself between modernity and tradition, Oliván shows an independent path: his wines are neither traditionalist nor modernist, but rather timeless interpretations of an extraordinary terroir. They tell the story of a landscape, its people and its centuries-old winegrowing culture - reinterpreted through the vision of one of its most talented protagonists.