Diversity Challenge

Diversity Challenge

From lusciously sweet to bone dry, from indigenous to international varietals and from whites through rosés to reds, the region of Navarra has the lot. Richard Woodard follows a group of Hotel du Vin sommeliers as they try to make sense of it all

With some Spanish regions you know where you are. Rias Baixas? Aromatic Albariños with delicacy and zest. Rioja? Hearty reds of varying complexions, plus some characterful and distinctive whites. And Navarra? Hmm… Well…

It would be overstating things to suggest that Navarra has an identity crisis, but a recent visit to the region in the company of four Hotel du Vin sommeliers suggested that it’s hard to come up with one overriding message for trade and consumers. Geography and history conspire to make this task more difficult. South of Pamplona, Navarra the wine region stretches for some 100km, taking in a bewildering array of soil types and microclimates along the way.

The north is heavily influenced by the Atlantic; wetter and cooler, it is the only place truly suitable for dry white wines (of which there are relatively few). This is also the place to find fine reds from established companies such as Chivite, and new, exciting talent such as Tandem.

Travel south into Ribera Alta and Ribera Baja and you’re in Mediterranean red wine country with Tempranillo and Garnacha dominating, as well as a pocket of fine Moscatel in the deep south.

Lost Identity
This sheer variety won the admiration of Pierre-Marie Pattieu, of Hotel du Vin Cambridge. But, while praising the interest of finding so many styles in one region, he is keen to see winemakers work more closely with their terroir – and not fall into the trap of over-oaking their wines.

For Pattieu, this is a general criticism of Navarra. ‘For an Old World region, I found a lot of New World influences in the winemaking (new American oak, international grape varieties, long extraction, filtration…). I really think this is a shame for the region, but they choose to make the wines regarding the demand from the market and not because of the terroir.’

That reference to international grape varieties adds another layer to the Navarra onion. Historically, the region’s close links to France meant that it supplied Cabernet, Merlot and so on when phylloxera devastated France, and producers have replanted these varieties more recently.

How many consumers know about the historic reason for growing Cabernet somewhere where it struggles to ripen (lots of green pepper notes in the wines) is a moot point; how many care is another matter altogether.

‘Cabernet is difficult,’ agrees Manuel Lopez, vineyard manager at Chivite. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain as a whole is difficult, except maybe in the south where there is a lot of sun. It’s about ripeness and too much pyrazine.’

‘I think they should focus more on their local varieties, like the traditional but highly versatile Garnacha (brilliant El Chapparal from Bodega Nekeas), or the unusual Graciano,’ argues Pierre Lancereau of Hotel du Vin Brighton. ‘This is the type of wine I’d be thrilled to introduce to a curious client – they would be completely out of their comfort zone, but if you matched it with the right dish, you’ll bring the dining experience a mile further for them.’ Graciano – from Ochoa especially, but also from Señorio de Sarria – was the real hit of the trip. Three of the four sommeliers picked the Ochoa wine, Mil Gracias, as one of their highlights, with Pete Townsend of Hotel du Vin Harrogate in particular lauding its personality, soft tannins and balance. ‘We have since listed this wine and it’s selling well,’ he says.

Rioja’s Shadow
Navarra’s reluctance to lean too heavily on Garnacha, Tempranillo and Graciano probably owes much to the presence of that Spanish powerhouse – Rioja – next door. But the danger in Navarra trying to carve out its own niche is that it risks ignoring what it does best – native varieties – even if they are often shared with its better-known neighbour.

‘Customers are generally not experienced enough with the region of Navarra,’ says Lenka Strapkova of Hotel du Vin Edinburgh, adding that the hotel’s two Navarra wines – a Graciano and a Garnacha – sell well with a little friendly persuasion from the sommelier.

Strapkova is a lover, too, of Navarra’s white wines, detecting an originality in the region’s Chardonnays that was clearly lost on Pattieu, who could find ‘nothing amazing’ in the whites.
Meanwhile, Townsend and Lancereau are fans of the sweet Moscatel produced mainly in the deep south of the region. For Lancereau, this was ‘rich in flavours without being syrupy, which makes these wines nice also as an aperitif’. Another standout for Lancereau was an unusual late harvest Chardonnay from Príncipe de Viana.

The picture that emerges is of a region whose diversity of wine styles verges on the scattergun – we haven’t, for instance, even mentioned Garnacha rosé, a local speciality which nonetheless failed to excite much comment from the sommeliers (although Pattieu describes the wines as ‘heavy’ and suggests they would match local, vegetable-rich dishes best).

However, there is one unifying factor underpinning the region’s inherent diversity, which is particularly welcome at this time – value for money. Established producers such as Chivite may be able to fetch huge sums for its Pago de Arínzano wines, but this is an exception rather than the rule.
‘Navarra wines are generally good value for money,’ says Strapkova, though she points out that ‘some top-end wines which I tasted and loved are a little too expensive to be a major success on the list’.

Good Value
Pattieu shares Strapkova’s perception of the region. ‘The value for money is very good – we could find a lot of wine around £3-£4, which is good in this period (for wines by the glass, for example). ‘It’s this kind of wine I was more interested in, because if I am looking for the very good and expensive wines, for sure I will find it in Rioja – or in Navarra in a few years.’

Wish you were here…

Pierre-Marie Pattieu, Hotel du Vin Cambridge
‘The region has more to offer than I expected, even if the vineyard and the winemaking are not so old; the wines are already good quality and, I am sure, they will be much better in the future. But I think they are too modern for an Old World wine region.
‘The difference between the different parts of the region is interesting to find, with many varying styles of wine if the winemakers work with the notion of the terroir and don’t overoak their wines. Value for money was also very good.’
Star wine: Mil Gracias by Bodegas Ochoa: ‘This 100% Graciano was something different, interesting and good value. Exactly what I was looking for in this region.’

Pierre Lancereau, Hotel du Vin Brighton
‘The first thing that comes to mind about these wines is the freshness, from north to south. No matter which grape variety was used, I always found a refreshing, well-balanced acidity in the cuvées we had the opportunity to sample.
‘I think they should focus more on their local varieties like the traditional but highly versatile Garnacha, or the unusual Graciano. In the future, I would be curious to taste some Viognier and some Syrah – I think they could perform very well in this region.’
Star wine: Rosé Colección 125 from Chivite. ‘A real curiosity, a rosé made using the bleeding method with oak ageing, which brings lots of richness to the wine, a buttery character that could remind you of a white Côte de Beaune, packed with red fruit and a slightly creamy sensation on the palate.’

Pete Townsend, Hotel du Vin Harrogate
‘There was a very warm, friendly, professional feel about Navarra, that showed in the standard of wines that we tried, and there is a consistency throughout the region.
‘I have confidence in buying or recommending a bottle of wine from Navarra. It’s the consistency and standard which is the selling point for me in the bistro.’
Star wine: Mil Gracias by Bodegas Ochoa. ‘This wine has a deep violet colour, a quite savoury, mineral nose, and on the palate it has a lot of fruit, especially black fruits and white pepper. It will go with any red meat dish.’

Lenka Strapkova, Hotel du Vin Edinburgh
‘Customers are generally not experienced enough yet with the region of Navarra. However, the wines that I am familiar with tend to have a trademark style – for reds, dark fruit like mulberry, dark cherry, plums, full-bodied with high tannins and a long, spicy finish.
‘On our wine list we have two reds – Viña Zorzal Graciano and Artadi Artazuri Garnacha. These are mainly sold on the sommelier’s recommendation, but customers love them when they try them.’
Star wine: ‘Any of the Chardonnays. Chardonnay from Navarra is different from Chardonnays from other parts of the world, because it has lively fruit character, great minerality and a good, fresh finish. It is very complex and is of great quality.’

Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine – January/February 2011