Roberto Olifan is crafting wondrous wines on the high ground of Alavesa. Working organically with some gorgeous old bush vines. His wines have a purity and impeccable structure that makes you marvel. This is just one of his range – but gives real pleasure and is a shining example of the ex...(read more)

Deeper colour than the 'Tinto', a raw freshness, a hint of reduction, super-taut black fruit and sappy energy from whole bunch fermentation. It's 'sauvage' energy is captivating from now and becomes more so with a little aeration.

Reductive notes on the nose with a flinty smoky whiff. This is present on the palate with attractive peach and stone fruits, the smoky notes come through on the finish – good acidity and very interesting. I think this needs some food, and is what I would call a ‘somm wine’.

Roberto Oliván continues to produce exquisite wines with deep saturated colour and explosive aromatics like this. Veriquete is a plot that is just under half a hectare at nearly 600 Mtrs up in the Sierra Cantabria Hills. A blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Viura and Malvasia from vine...(read more)

This one-hectare field blend of Garnacha with 10% Tempranillo and Malvasía was planted at the turn of the last century on red clay and sand soils. The resulting wine is rich and well upholstered with plenty of alcohol, a spicy, mulberry core and palate-cleansing acidity. Bold and complex.

Whereas the 'Los Corrillos' label is for a blend of plots around Vinaspre, this one is a single vineyard with a rather rock'n'roll name - it's geographical co-ordinates feature on a label that is otherwise very like the other Los Corrillos label. A similarly taut and defined fruit with liv...(read more)

Wonderful aromas of ripe blackberries warmed by the sun along with more 'sauvage' notes of crushed stems and pith on the palate. Like the Veriquete, but possibly more so, this has immense complexity for such a young wine and shows great promise for the future - but the sample bottle was fi...(read more)