10/15/2025
Bodegas Ochoa is a phenom of a winery in Navarra. Daughters Adriana and Beatriz are the 6th generation in this rock solid establishment, and took over from their parents in 2015. They are emblematic of the nexus of tradition and progress. The viticulture has been organic since 2010, and Adriana now practices regenerative agriculture in their lovely vineyards, many of which sit at the gateway of the Bardenas Desert, Europe’s largest desert. We drove by a fertile spot with a stream that she lets sit fallow so the partridge population can recover. Beautiful, no? We tasted 9 wines in the vineyard itself on a hot October afternoon. Moscatel has always been their signature, and it was special indeed. All of the bottlings, be they dry, sparkling, late harvest, or aged, offered up the plumpest of ripe apricots and the sweetest of oranges, precisely balanced with tart clementine and lemon. The gamut from pale yellow to dark amber, all stunning. The three Labrit bottlings we tried, white garnacha, a pressed rather than saignier rose, and an organic red garnacha, were all exceptional in their categories. Feminine in their grace and full-throated in their harmony and presence. The garnacha blanca had subtle aromas ( not the typical white flower bower bomb) and a mineral, citric character. Half foudres half concrete - old school techniques for a post-modern, uplifted style. I found the rosado to be taut and acid-forward, beautifully balanced by the use of garnacha grapes harvested at two different times. Early for acid, later for fruit concentration. Refreshing and delicious. I especially enjoyed the surprise of the red garnacha, whose violet but not dark purple color belied its full-bodied dark cherry and pansy concentration. The aged wines, Ochoa Gran Reserva 2015 and Ochoa Gran Reserva 2005, were graceful old reds that gave off pleasure and power in equal measure.
