Bodegas Olarra

Bodegas Olarra - Wine architecture on the Way of St. James

Bodegas Olarra is a winery located in the municipality of Viana on the Way of Saint James, on the border of Navarre and Rioja. It is run by the Limousin Ucin family and is part of the Bodegas Olarra group, which also includes two other wineries. Bodegas Olarra is unthinkable without architecture. Designed in 1973 by Juan Antonio Ridruejo, the building was conceived by and for wine. It is in itself a treatise on architecture applied to the winemaking process, for which it is perfectly suited. Its most striking element, the roof over the barrel room, made up of 111 hexagonal domes, is arranged to avoid sudden temperature changes. 

The terroir of Bodegas Olarra

Viana is an area with a great winemaking tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. There is cartographic material showing that many of Bodegas Olarra's Mazuelo and Tempranillo vineyards have been planted for more than 70 years, giving the wines great uniqueness and personality.

In order to better understand the suitability of the municipality of Viana and the adjacent areas for viticulture, Bodegas Ondarre carried out a thorough soil zoning study. On the one hand, deep shafts were dug and, on the other, a classification of the terroirs throughout the area was carried out with the help of material provided by the Soil Authority of the Government of Navarre. This allows Bodegas Olarra to know exactly the viticultural potential of each soil and to divide the grape harvest according to the wine to be made.

The different regions of Bodegas Olarra

The winery's vineyard is made up of small plots scattered throughout the municipal area. Depending on the type of soil in which they are planted and the age of the grapes, they are destined for a particular type of wine:

Valdevilla - Valdecuevas

Located in a very high area of Viana, this soil type includes vineyards with red and white varieties, from which Bodegas Olarra obtains most of the Valdebarón wines. It is an elongated region that stretches from the southwest of Viana to the adjacent municipality of Aras to the north.

The soil, made of ochre sandstone, has a steep slope. The depth is shallow, as a petrocalcareous horizon at a depth of about 30-40 cm prevents root penetration. The vineyards suffer from controlled water stress during the summer, which is a typical aspect for high quality grapes. A very particular feature is their very short ripening window, which forces us to keep a strict watch during the sampling period. The grapes from this soil produce wines with a high alcohol content and a medium-high acidity. The berries are small and have a high content of colour and polyphenols. This is due to the ratio between the surface area of the skins and the quantity of must, which is therefore greater, resulting in a greater availability of polyphenols, aromas, colour and other juicy compounds that can be extracted during winemaking.

La Charrina - Valdecuevas

We are located in the highest area of Viana at more than 600 meters above sea level. This is where most of the old vines are grown, almost all of which are Tempranillo.

This type of soil is not very fertile, which means that the vineyards are not very productive. The main reason for this, similar to Valdevilla, is the shallow depth, which is less than 50 cm for the roots. They are not very rich in nutrients and their water holding capacity is low. All the vineyards planted on this soil have small clusters, very loose and well-aerated berries, which minimizes the problems with plant hygiene, especially botrytis.

The altitude allows for a very balanced alcoholic and phenolic ripening, a quality that is becoming increasingly difficult due to climate change. The grapes that Bodegas Olarra receives have a medium alcohol content, high acidity and a full maturation of color and polyphenols. All this makes this area an ideal place for the production of Señorío de Ondarre wines, which combine intense fruit aromas with spicy flavours. 

In this area there are two old plantations (El Nogal and Los Pinos), which are the origin of Mayor de Ondarre. Due to this unique combination of sun exposure, age and microclimate, these two plots have the inestimable distinction of producing the best grapes year after year with great regularity.

Aracuevas - Valcibon

This area is located to the south of Viana. Here we find areas with a lower slope and flatter morphology. These soils are deeper but have a poor structure. One of the most characteristic features is that their mineralogical family tends to carbonate and therefore the carbonate content is over 40%. This gives it a uniqueness that clearly distinguishes it from other soils, so that in rainy years the grapes are of medium size, while in dry years the vineyards suffer from water stress.

Ravine of Castilla - Way of Saint James

The land runs through the east of Viana from the Way of Saint James to the southern part of the municipality. It is a fertile soil with a fine clay and loam structure and a certain water retention capacity. In principle, there could be problems with high average yields, which are not desirable for quality grapes. However, due to the moderate slope and low nutrient content, vineyard yields here are low.

Vinification of the wines of Bodegas Olarra

Bodegas Olarra is fully in the tradition of Rioja wines, whose greatness the winery wants to preserve and thus uses the classic methods of the region for the development. So barrel and bottle maturity are natural. The typical differentiation in the quality classes can also be found here:

• Crianza (at least 2 years aging)
• Reserva (at least 3 years)
• Gran Reserva (at least 5 years)

Besides the typical red wines, Bodegas Olarra also produces some white and rosé wines.