If talking about terroir specificity and origin in Rioja has become commonplace, it’s thanks to producers, big and small, that dared to question regional blends and bring greater focus to the geological, topographic and climatic patchwork that make up the region’s singular diversity.
Ondarre was born from precisely this desire to convey the very specific character of the grapes and wines of Viana, a picturesque town northeast of Logroño. The project zooms in on its south-facing vineyards, which line the slope of Sierra del Codés (the easternmost part of the Sierra de Cantabria), growing on an intricate mosaic of seven soil types.
But it’s Viana’s community of growers, and not merely its vines, that plays a central role in the origins and development of Ondarre. A project of detail, attention and great ambition, Ondarre has a clear focus: preserving and leveraging the viticultural heritage of Viana, while ensuring the socioeconomic sustainability of its landscape and community.
Ondarre’s cellars.
A meeting of needs
Ondarre’s story stems from a combination of inevitability and serendipity. The grapes brought each harvest from Viana to Bodegas Olarra had long stood out. Geological diversity, aspect and significant percentages of Mazuelo (Carignan) explained the unique character of the wines they produced: more structured and earthy than elsewhere.
Tannic structure and a distinct herbaceous outline made them hard to incorporate into regional blends. Instead, they offered the promise of singular village wines with great ageing potential. This was met by a desire, at Olarra, to develop a terroir-focused project, allowing the team to hone its viticultural and winemaking skills in a different, albeit complementary, way – over and above the more classic Reserva and Gran Reserva styles.
Ondarre’s vineyards surrounding the town of Viana.
Meanwhile, most of the vineyards around Viana belonged to individual landowners, and there were various challenges: difficulties securing investment to improve vinegrowing; a lack of clear winemaking guidelines; and the need for vinegrowing and winemaking to be better aligned.
Olarra then came forward with an elegant solution that addressed these needs while pioneering a partnership model: the creation of a winery in Viana, where wines could be produced solely with Viana fruit, working in partnership with the local growers to make the best of the village’s terroir. Founded in 1985, it championed terroir-led wines before the concept had gained traction in Rioja. And it introduced a socially responsible model that places community and an existing local heritage at its core.
Ondarre now sits alongside Bodegas Olarra (Rioja), Bodegas y Viñedos Casa del Valle (La Mancha) and Altos de Valdoso (Ribera del Duero) as part of Grupo Bodegas Olarra. It stands out for its cultural as much as viticultural relevance.
Winemaker Javier Martínez de Salinas.
In the pipeline
A project built on not just tradition but also innovation and exploration, Ondarre has a dynamic range that reflects continuous research and creative interpretation. Testament to Ondarre’s pioneering – and inquisitive – origins is an ever-evolving range that never ceases to explore the different ways in which the grapes of Viana can be interpreted.
Among Ondarre’s flagship wines are La Escaleruela, a monovarietal, single-vineyard Mazuelo from a plot planted in 1984, and the dynamic Los Otros (‘the others’) range, a collection of evolving limited editions that explore specific vineyards and grape varieties through unexpected approaches. These are the wines that best capture the ethos of Ondarre: an ongoing journey that the growers and vines of Viana began four decades ago.
Four new releases that capture Ondarre’s ethos:
Available in the UK from Hallgarten Novum Wines
Los Otros Rosado Gran Reserva 2021
A category-defying aged Mazuelo rosé with a nuanced nose marrying fragrant floral notes with flint, wood smoke and pencil shavings. The palate follows with the same layered complexity and moreish texture. After 26 months in third-use French oak barrels, the wood is superbly integrated, and four years after harvest it retains incredible energy and verve.
Alc 12%
Los Otros La Antanilla 2024
An unoaked Garnacha, fermented and aged in concrete, retaining incredible purity of fruit and a chiseled herbal outline. Sweet cranberry, wild strawberry, redcurrant jam and poached plum fill the mouth, lifted by notes of Mediterranean herbs and wild flowers. It hails from old vineyards, planted in the early 20th century, and echoes the aromas of the surrounding woods.
Alc 13.5 %
Los Otros La Asomada 2023
Soft-textured, pure Tempranillo, from some of Ondarre’s highest-altitude vineyards (664 to 690 metres), fermented and aged in an egg-shaped concrete vessel. Ripe and juicy black fruit glides through the palate, carried by velvety tannins. Gentle rim of oregano, thyme and liquorice.
Alc 13.5%
La Escaleruela Viñedo Singular 2023
A benchmark Rioja Mazuelo, from a plot planted in 1984, fermented and aged in third-use French oak barrels. The process helps to outline Mazuelo’s crunchy red and blue fruit and soften its characterful, savoury tannins. Fragrant top notes of dried violets and pot pourri. A wine with great ageing potential.
Alc 13.5%
