Tentenublo
Rioja Alavesa
Origins and Philosophy
Tentenublo takes its name from the ringing of bells once used in Rioja villages to ward off hailstorms. Roberto Oliván, from Viñaspre (Álava), launched Tentenublo Wines in 2011 with a single goal: to make a living from the land while adding value to his family’s small wine business. After years of selling grapes to large bodegas, he became a producer-winegrower to challenge the market’s low grape prices. His approach prioritizes extraordinary wines from single sites over volume blends, reflecting a serious yet playful focus on terroir.
Vineyards and Terroir
Roberto manages fifteen hectares of vineyards across 40 plots in Viñaspre, including 22 parcels in the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria. The high altitude, combined with the influence of the Atlantic, the Ebro River, and the Mediterranean, shapes the bright, expressive style of his wines. Soils vary from calcareous marls on eroded slopes to red sand marls on tablelands at 600 m above sea level. The vineyards are traditional, with co-planted varietals grown in goblet form, old vines, and field blends that reflect the varietal composition of the wines.
Viticulture and Winemaking
Viticulture is environmentally respectful, with minimal tillage, non-certified organic practices, and some biodynamic methods. Harvest is entirely manual. Winemaking uses native yeast fermentation, limited sulphur, and smallholdings (minifundio) to preserve the character of each plot. Observation, massal selection, altitude, and soil type guide the process, aiming to recreate the wines historically made and enjoyed at the family home, such as Xérico and Tentenublo.
Single-Vineyard Projects
Escondite del Ardacho is a collection of single-vineyard wines sourced from specific plots: El Abundillano, Las Guillermas, and Veriquete. The project preserves the family’s unique heritage and focuses on distinct microclimates, using massal selection to establish new vineyards and secure the long-term prosperity of the business. This approach blends tradition, experimentation, and respect for the land, producing wines that are both expressive and authentic.
WINES
Tentenublo 2020
Red Wine. A blend of the plots El Prado, Abejera, Balsa, Quemada, Fuente Colas, and Castillejo. 60% Tempranillo, 30% Garnacha, and 10% Viura. The vines are 20 to 100 years old, and vineyard management and winemaking follow the same principle of minimal intervention. Fermented in open vats with wild yeast. Low SO₂, unfined, and unfiltered. 22,050 bottles produced.
12×750 ml. SKU +317493. Available in 6*1500ml. SKU +317523
Tentenublo Blanco 2024
White Wine. A blend of the plots El Pedrón, La Entrada, Castillejo, El Chorro, and La Quemada. 40% Viura, 30% Malvasía Riojana, and 30% Jaén from vines 45–65 years old in limestone soils. Minimal-intervention viticulture and winemaking. Fermented in concrete tanks and aged on its lees for nine months. Sapid, very balanced, serious, and mineral. 5,468 bottles produced.
12×750 ml. SKU +323849
Xerico 2018
Red Wine. With this nineteenth-century-looking label, which features a different ancestor of Roberto’s in each vintage, he pays tribute to the legacy of Rioja tradition. It is a blend of different vineyards in Viñaspre, 15–50 years old, worked organically and with minimal intervention in the cellar. Primarily Tempranillo with 15% Viura. Made in concrete vats, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation. This makes up his largest cuvée, with 25,950 bottles produced.
12×750 ml. SKU +317509
El Escondite del Ardacho Veriquete 2019
Red Wine. The Hideout of the Lizard is the line reserved for single-parcel Roberto Cru wines. Veriquete covers 0.4 ha, planted with 80% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 5% Viura, and 5% Malvasía, with vines 50–105 years old. Wild fermented in stainless steel, with 20% whole clusters, and aged in French oak for nine months. Unfined and unfiltered. 1,767 bottles produced.
6×750 ml. SKU +317532
El Escondite del Ardacho Las Guillermas 2019
Red Wine. 40% Tempranillo, 60% Viura from a 66-year-old vineyard. Minimal intervention; destemmed and fermented in open vats with indigenous yeast, with gentle bâtonnage. Aged in second-use French barrels for nine months without racking. Unfined and unfiltered. 1,625 bottles produced.
6×750 ml. SKU +323836
Los Corrillos 2021
Red Wine. Plot Rocavo: 60% Viura and 40% Tempranillo. Vines are 35 years old, in a vineyard managed with minimal tillage and non-certified organic practices. Work follows minimal-intervention principles, with co-fermented whole clusters in open vats, aged in second-use barrels. 660 bottles produced.
6×750 ml. SKU +317506
