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 preservatives, Roberto draws upon Rioja’s long established protocol of barrel aging (working mainly with French oak), to craft deeply personal wines of substance and character. 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 meters. The estate is planted mainly to classic red and white Rioja varieties including Tempranillo, Garnacha and Viura.
All of Roberto’s wines bear the unique stamp of the surrounding, profound elemental variables – water, wind, soil, the sun and the altitude. The degree of understanding Iglesias has of the intricate terroir of his land is not only impressive, it is a testament to the value of his loyalty and pride of origin in the world of winemaking. The collection of wines is impressive – savoury, deep and chararacterful. These wines drink so incredibly well, with food and without. They are deep, soulful and filled with flavour. Great stuff.
This wine an ode to the wines that Roberto’s ancestors drank – Rioja without oak maturation. In place of the oak is cement and chestnut foudres. The other connection with the past, and slight oddity, is that the wine contains 15% of the white grape Viura, to provide acid and balance to the Tempranillo. Fermentation is completed with natural yeasts in stainless steel and cement vats to retain freshness and minerality. No oak, but aged for five months in cement vats and chestnut foudres. Starts with notes of eucalyptus and black currant, and leads onto smoke and a slight gaminess and a really piquant tanginess.
Find this wine at
You can find food pairings, matching recipes and the winemakers’ story all here:
Discover wines paired to your tastes at