Who makes it
Chivite works from Villatuerta in Navarra, with a family tradition that spans eleven generations. Its wines reach from Colección 125 to varietal Chardonnay, Syrah and Grenache from Finca Legardeta. The company presents Colección 125, Chivite Legardeta Range and Chivite Las Fincas Range as its named lines.
Colección 125 includes both red and white wines. The Legardeta wines come from the estate's vineyards and keep each grape variety separate in the bottle.
Where it grows
Finca Legardeta lies on Montejurra's slopes in Navarra's Tierra Estella subzone, north of Rioja's vineyards. The nearby Ega River reduces frost risk and summer heat, while the setting receives higher rainfall than Rioja.
The soils are predominantly sandstone with clay limestone soils. Chivite grows Chardonnay, Syrah and Grenache there as varietal wines, linking the estate's northern setting to separate grape led bottles.
How it is made
The cellar
Colección 125 Reserva is hand harvested, sorted, gravity fed into stainless steel vats, gently extracted by manual pumping over, and aged in French oak for 15 to 18 months after malolactic fermentation.
Legardeta Chardonnay ferments in stainless steel or French oak and remains on its lees for about five months. Lees ageing keeps fine yeast solids in contact with the wine, a practice that can add creaminess and fuller texture.
What they make
Chivite's current lineup presents three named ranges: Colección 125, Chivite Legardeta Range and Chivite Las Fincas Range. Colección 125 contains the red Vino de Guarda and the white Blanco.
The Legardeta range is a varietal line of Chardonnay, Syrah and Grenache from Finca Legardeta. Chardonnay appears in both Colección 125 and Legardeta, with Colección 125 Blanco from Las Mercedes and Legardeta Chardonnay from Finca Legardeta.