Italy

Bodegas Julian Chivite

Cintruénigo

Chivite

Winemaker: Fernando Chivite

Fernando Chivite, the eleventh generation, is keeping this family-owned producer at the forefront of Spanish wine quality, partly through embracing 'technology' of the past. The organic vineyard project at the Senorio de Arinzano estate (in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund), has seen a vineyard development of total quality based on environmentally concerned management of agriculture – hand-weeding, pruning, leaf-plucking and picking – through to the use of only organic materials and processes in the gravity-feed winery. Old vine material from the estate's original vineyards is also providing propagation material for the new estates of Legardeta (adjacent to Senorio de Arinzano), La Horra in Ribera del Duero and Vina Salceda in Rioja.

The Navarra vineyards at Cintruénigo are the anchor of the Chivite's production, the Gran Feudo range of wines. The vineyards are planted to predominantly Tempranillo and Garnacha, with minor plantings of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Muscat à Petit Grains with an average vine age of twenty years. But it is with Rosado that Chivite really shines, particularly for an Australian summer. The style is ethereal pink, deliciously crisp and dry, with jubey Grenache flavours.

What's new: Vina Salceda Rioja. Chivite bought this beautiful Rioja Alavesa property in Elciego some twelve years ago and have been quietly restoring it and assessing its quality potential. The raw material is excellent – calcareous clay soil at 380-450 metres above sea level and old-vine Tempranillo, Mazuelo, and Graciano. Our first release is the 2006 vintage Rioja Crianza, a medium-bodied dry red of ruby colour, lifted vinous nose with violets and raspberry highlights and well-structured palate.

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Wines
Gran Feudo Rosado DO
Gran Feudo Crianza DO
Gran Feudo Riserva DO
Vina Salceda Rioja Crianza DO