The Kingdom of Navarra - Tandem Winery

Navarra is a wine region in Spain that is all too often over looked. Boardering its famous cousin, Rioja, the wines of Navarra can vary greatly in quality. However find the right winery and you'll get some absolutely knock out deals. Tandem Winery is one such, perched high up in the hills, it is a full 3 weeks later in harvesting than the rest of the region due to its cool altitude. This lends finesse and elegance to these wonderfully rich wines. Here US wine writer Charles Olken recaps on his trip to Navarra, and in particular to Tandem Winery (see the bottom of the page):

'Chances are that you rarely drink the wines of Navarra, and possibly you have not even heard of them. Famous places in Spain like Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas and Penedes are more likely to be of interest to most wine drinkers. Still, when a friend of ours told us the story of Navarra, it caught our attention. Navarra, it turns out, is also the location of Pamplona, and while we never got in the way of the bulls when they were running, we spent more than a few of our youthfully green days enjoying the place and falling in love with the scenery, the people, the food and even the pink wines that were its forte at the time.

Turns out, in today’s modern world, that the Kingdom of Navarra (how many places in Spain think of themselves as something else first and Spanish second) has moved from backwater bull country to bustling countryside in which almost every large town and some smaller ones as well have new and fancy buildings, plenty of first class commerce and great places to try the wine and take the food, both local and international. And Navarra has a couple of other advantages that intrigued us as wine drinkers. It borders directly on Rioja, and, in an odd circumstance, some of its own territory falls within the Rioja appellation boundaries. The tales of vines growing right up to the border and then stopping as one leaves the Rioja growing area, still in Navarra, of course, tells us a lot about the value of a famous name. It tells us less about the wines of Navarra, but it does suggest a potential unrealized.

We traveled in the company of other writers and interested folks, and as with our trip to Sicily last year, we have been greatly aided by and are indebted to our traveling guide, Paul Wagner, in telling the tale of a place that has lots to tell about. We begin with a look at history and place and then add wine commentary. On this trip, the wines were tasted with open labels at the wineries, and, accordingly come without specific ratings. But, in compiling our list of recommended wines, we have consulted both our own notes and also communed with Mr. Wagner and with Tim Gaiser, head of instruction for the Court of Master Sommeliers. No wine appears, it must be said, unless we personally feel that it deserves to be mentioned, but it is also true, that we have tended to mention wines whose character impressed most of the wine experts on the trip.

About The Place
Navarra is a land of true diversity. Lying between Rioja and Bordeaux in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the region combines Spanish, French and Basque influences. Its special location has allowed it to draw expertise and inspiration from both of these regions while developing its own unique mix of styles. In the north, especially west of Pamplona, the Pyrenees dominate and then the area flattens out a bit and opens up the further south one goes. And the climate has a similar spectrum. Navarra offers winemakers an array of growing conditions from the cool Atlantic-influenced north to the dry and flat areas less than one hundred miles to the south. Comparisons to Bordeaux in the north and Argentina in the south were inescapable.

It is not surprising then that we tasted everything from stunning Chardonnays and Bordeaux-style blends to delicious Garnchas (Grenache) and Tempranillos and wonderful rosé wines often made from old vine Grenache. It is also worth noting that most of the modern, forward-looking wines came from the coolest portion of Navarra in an area west to southwest of—Chardonnays, Cabernets and Tempranillos that seem destined to earn world-class status as their fame spreads. And full credit goes to the winemakers of the entire region whose interest in improving their products has seen them push for the authorization of new varieties and experiments with as yet unauthorized grapes.

Navarra is a region with a rich cultural history as well. During Charlemagne’s rule of the Kingdom, the legendary knight Roland fought his epic battle that has been immortalized by the Chanson de Roland (Song of Roland), one of the oldest known works of French literature. During this same time, the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela placed Navarra on the cultural map of Europe. The steady traffic of religious visitors gave Navarra exposure to many different cultures and traditions, including contact with winemakers in the major wine regions of France. Last year, more than 45,000 people from all over the world made this 500-mile trek across northern Spain, and wineries like Tandem and Monjardin, whose wines are mentioned below, are practically part of the route as it passes within sniffing distance of their doors.

Navarra’s capital, Pamplona, is famous for its festival of San Fermin and the running of the bulls through its ancient historic center. The town receives a million visitors for this one week of wild celebration in the streets. The locals we met on this trip were quick to tell us that they go away for the week, yet the son of one of the winery owners was proud to tell us that he and his buddies would be there. Ernest Hemingway became fascinated with the festival and visited several times His highly regarded novels, The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell Tolls are both based in Navarra. The region is filled with beautifully preserved fortresses, castles and noble houses from the Middle-Ages. One of the finest is in the town of Olite and serves as a backdrop for a Festival of Classical. Today Olite is also rightfully famous as home to Spain’s most advanced viticultural and enological-based research center, Evena. If Navarra wines are currently operating in the shadow of their western neighbors in Rioja, whose output is four times larger, the region’s wide range of growing conditions and its complement of winemakers intent on expanding the envelope make Navarra a wine region to watch as well as a lovely place to visit.

The Wines

There was a time, and it was not so long ago, that traditional Spanish varieties and traditional winemaking were the rule in Navarra. But Navarra was perhaps the first of the Spanish wine regions to embrace the idea of new varieties and now many of its top red wines are made with substantial portions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Tempranillo and Grenache still play the major roles, especially in the lower priced reds, and remain the dominant varieties by planted acreage. White grapes have never been a significant factor there, and even though Chardonnay is making inroads, especially in the cooler regions around Estella west of Pamplona, whites still account for something like 6-7% of all production in Navarra. For years, Navarra was most known for Rosado (rosé), and that is true today. Old vine Grenache can make exceptionally fruity and fragrant rosés when made in modern wineries, and the rosés of Navarra are, by far, the most widely seen rosés in Spain. Wine prices are very inexpensive when you are in country, but the rise significantly here because of the costs of shipping and the systems of distribution. Still, with very good rosé near $10 and attractive Crianza reds closer to $15, they are real bargains when they appear in our own backyards. The fancier reds go up in price, but some of them are world-class in their own right and have personalities that are uniquely Spanish even when French varieties claim top place in their respective cepages.

Tandem is a new winery that would be at home in California. Located in the cool western region of the area, it specializes in refined wines that, truth be told, veer away from the typical outgoing style of Navarra and instead emphasize a claret-like elegance. Our favorite was Tandem 2005 Ars Nova, a Tempranillo-dominated wine. Others favored Ars Macula, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. All of us loved both of them.'

Tandem Wines are available to buy online in the UK from Novum Wines