Roberto Oliván Iglesias has been farming his eight hectare family estate, Tentenublo, in the high, wind-swept Basque country of the Rioja Alavesa since 2011. 

Working organically, using native yeast fermentation, and limited sulphur, Roberto draws upon Rioja’s long established protocol of barrel ageing (working mainly with French oak), to craft deeply personal wines of substance and character.

The Rioja Alavesa, where Roberto was born, has historically been an agrarian based society within which the cultivation of the vine firmly rests. In strict geographical terms, Roberto is a winemaker of Rioja, and more specifically a winemaker of the Rioja Alavesa. However, it is the powerful connection he shares with the previous generations of his family who once worked the land now in his care, combined with his deep knowledge of the country surrounding the small village of Viñaspre, where he was born, that truly defines Roberto’s sensibility and influences his decision making process.

The property of Tentenublo, despite its relatively small size, can be described as a collection of several distinct microclimates with 15-70 year old vines spread throughout 22 individual parcels in the foothills of the Cantabria mountains, at altitudes ranging from 450-650 metres. The estate is planted mainly to classic red and white Rioja varieties including Tempranillo, Garnacha and Viura. Tentenublo is the name given to the ringing of bells aimed at fighting off hailstorms in some Rioja villages

While the soil composition of the overall estate is predominantly marl and sandstone, the specific geology of each site varies depending on its particular position and altitude. Similarly, each site is influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the effects of the Ebro River, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, depending on its situation. All of Roberto's wines bear the unique stamp of these profound elemental variables.

The degree of understanding Roberto Oliván Iglesias has of the intricate terroir of his land is not only impressive, it is a testament to the value of filial loyalty and pride of origin in the world of winemaking. While we wish we had more bottles available to share with you, we hope you take this opportunity to try these remarkable offerings from a very interesting, evolving producer whose arc is well worth following.