
2018 Olivier Rivière Las Viñas de Eusebio




WINEMAKER: Olivier Rivière
VARIETAL: Tempranillo, Graciano
REGION: Rioja, SP
VITICULTURE: Biodynamic
"Las Viñas de Eusebio is a blend of Tempranillo with 10% Graciano that has superb finesse and complexity. It matured in a 1,600-liter oak foudre and 225- and 500-liter oak barrels and as usual has a quite classical profile, with a mixture of gorgeous gossamer fruit and spice, 2018 was a very successful vintage for Olivier and this has all the ingredients to develop nicely in bottle including fine but chalky tannins from the limestone soils, which adds to that serious and classical profile. There is a portion of whole bunches in the fermentation that gives attractive lift and drive as the wine is young. Great wine!" - Andrew Guard
Olivier, as you might guess, is not Spanish but French. He was born and raised in Cognac, studied enology (with an emphasis on biodynamic farming practices) in Bordeaux and gained practical experience there and in Burgundy. The list of estates where he has worked is impressive by anyone’s standards from the most dedicated fans of natural wines (Domaine de Chassorney) to ultra-traditionalists (Domaine Leroy.) When his plans to set up a domaine in Fitou fell through, Olivier decided to spend a few years consulting in Spain, and he’s never left.
Coming from France, Olivier has an innate sense of terroir. Unlike most of his peers in Rioja, he bases his cuvées not on political boundaries or the length of barrel ageing but on terroir. He believes in a quality hierarchy inspired by Burgundy with generic appellation and Village wines at the base and Premier and Grand Cru wines at the top.