ABERIN, Navarra, Spain — Invitations to visit a number of bodegas, large and small, in the province of Navarra proved to be rewarding on a number of fronts.

First, it reinforced the longheld notion that rosé wines produced here are among the best in the world. In addition, the visits this month also opened the eyes of a small group of writers to the new thrust in winegrowing here — from the planting of international grape varieties to a decided shift from traditional garnacha to tempranillo, the grape that dominates elsewhere in Spain.

Nowhere is the changing face of winemaking more evident than at the crown jewel property of the Chivite family, Arinzano, a sprawling 355 hectare (887 acres) estate divided by the Ega River that includes 145 hectares (360 acres) of exceptional grapevines and a state-of-the-art winery housed in meticulously rehabilitated historic structures.

Bodegas Julián Chivite is the oldest wine producing dynasty in all of Spain. Founded in 1647, the winemaking tradition has been passed from generation to generation. Today, the company is run proudly by the four energetic Chivite heirs — Julián, Carlos, Fernando and Mercedes.

Chivite made its initial mark in the 1860s when disease-ravaged French vineyards, and the firm began exporting its wine across the border. Present-day expansion took on new meaning when the Chivites bought and annexed the prime Señorio de Arinzano estate to their Navarra landscape. The Señorio de Arinzano property is dedicated to the family’s prestigious wine brand, aptly called Coleccion 125 — a commemoration launched two decades ago, marking Chivite’s humble breakout year when it started exporting in 1863.

The 1988 purchase of the Señorio de Arinzano estate signified the start of the Chivite family’s venture into fine wines. In a short span of two decades, the Chivite family has gone from trusted industry producer to major player in Spain’s world of fine wine.

The winery is tucked among poplars along the river bank and the century-old oaks climbing slopes that rise behind them. The facility is designed around state of the art technology which transfers the grapes and musts from one operation to the next in gentlest possible manner.

At elevations around 1,000 feet, vineyard planting is predominantly tempranillo followed by cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay. Total production of the Chivite Colección 125 wines averages 45,000 cases per vintage.

In regulating wine production through the Denomination of Origin Classification, Spain has added a top-of-the-line categiry, called Pago. The Arinzano is the first wine estate in Navarra permitted to use this classification for its exceptional wines. A tasting at the winery revealed:

Chivite Colección 125 Reserva 2004 ($35): An outstanding blend of tempranillo (64 percent), cabernet sauvignon (20 percent) and merlot (14 percent), the 14 months in oak has helped with development of a wine that offers aromas of plums, spice and a little smoke. Exhibiting balance of fruit and oak, this red blend offers oodles of blackberries and cassis on the palate and finishes dry.

Chivite will release its first Pago wines in a classy three-pack, putting vintages 2000-2002 on the market at the same time. The wine has been released already in Germany and should be available in the United States soon. Retail is expected to be $100 per bottle.

Chivite Gran Vino de Pago de Arinzano 2000, 2001, 2002 (approx. $100 each): The thrust of these seamless wines is to make the native grape, tempranillo, the focus, with merlot and cabernet sauvignon used to flesh it out. Every vintage sees a different blend of the three grapes, but make no mistake, this is where the winemaking team allocates its biggest, ripest fruit. Elegant wines with obvious finesse, the tempranillo is the star as continuity in both style and blend is the common thread in our comparative tasting. Juicy red and black plums as well as blackberries burst in the mouth, then make a heady statement as they linger on the palate. Production was 1,500 cases for all three wines. This Gran Vino from the Arinzano estate sets the bar for other Pago wines in Spain.

History and family

The picturesque town of Olite was historically significant during the Roman Empire and was the capital of the Kingdom of Navarra during the Middle Ages. Bodegas Ochoa has documents dated 1370 A.D. confirming that the bodega was the personal winemaker for the king of Navarra and his royal court, which continued for about another 400 years.

Bodegas Ochoa is still family owned and operated with Javier Ochoa at the helm for the past 35 years. Adriana, Javier’s daughter, was trained in Bordeaux, continued her wine education in Australia, and is following in her father’s footsteps. Adriana is assuming more of the winemaking responsibilities of the bodega under her father’s guidance.

All of the grapes used to make Ochoa’s wines are estate grown on their 143 hectares (350 acres) of vineyards — located in the higher elevations of Navarra, which lends additional structure and character to the wines.

Hosted by Adriana, father Javier and mother Mari Vi, we got to taste a number of exceptional wines from this producer. Bodegas Ochoa wines are available in about 20 states, including California. They are on lists at a number of Spanish restaurants in the Bay Area as well as at the Berkeley retail outlet, The Spanish Table. A couple of the cellar’s young, fresh wines are on the local import list, including a blend of tempranillo and garnacha as well as a blend of viura (a lovely floral grape with moderate acidity also known as macabeo) and chardonnay. Wines enjoyed at our tasting included:

Bodegas Ochoa 2007 Rosado de Lagrima ($10): A lovely saignée blend of garnacha and cabernet sauvignon, the fresh wine exhibits structure as well as refreshing strawberry flavors.

Bodegas Ochoa 2005 Graciano/Garnacha ($12): A 50/50 blend of garnacha and graciano (a perfumed black grape that has fallen out of favor in Spain but, when used, imparts spice and structure to the wine), this is a bargain for a wine with so much to offer. It has spice and lingering black and red fruit, a bit peppery on the finish and mineral on the nose. It’s easy to drink, making it ideal as aperitif or to accompany sausage or tri-tip sizzling from the grill.

Bodegas Ochoa 2006 Mil Gracias Graciano (approx. $30): A great expression of this once-important Spanish variety. Besides its very floral nose, the wine has great acid and an underlying pleasant herbal note. Ripe, juicy plums linger on the finish, making you want a second glass. This is a new wine for Ochoa and will be available in the U.S. come spring. Let’s hope the local wholesaler brings this one to the Bay Area because it’s not only something new but a stellar wine.

Respect for the land

Located in the Ribera Alta district, Bodega Inurrieta is owned and operated by partners who have great respect for the land that provides them with fruit for their wines.

“At times, we look at the countryside and we cannot determine whether it is telling us something or hiding something from us,” notes company President Juan Mari Antoñana. “It fills us with uncertainty but it so happens that, in the end, it entraps us.

“Thus, from one generation to the next, the land has managed to earn our respect, ensuring we will pamper it without exploiting it, receiving from it a product of the utmost quality.”

At Inurrieta’s unimposing bodega in rural Falces, the spirit of the winegrowers is reflected in the glass. Here, we are impressed with:

Bodega Inurrieta 2007 Orchidea ($8): The only sauvignon blanc in Navarra on the market today. The team here anticipated approval of the varietal in the region and planted sauvignon blanc. To ensure complexity, winemaker Kepa Sagastizabal uses a half dozen different yeasts in the fermentation. The result is a bright wine with lively acid and a lingering lime finish.

Bodega Inurrieta 2007 Kajo ($10): A brand new offering, each vintage will feature a different young wine — this year 100 percent garnacha. The wine spent but two months in French oak and is fresh, concentrated, with a violet bouquet and a mouthful of spicy, red fruit.

Bodega Inurrieta 2005 Sur and 2006 Norte ($10-$12): Two blends, one in a Mediterranean style (Sur) that’s a blend of garnacha, syrah and a splash of merlot — a big, juicy wine — and the other Bordelais (Norte), a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot. The latter has an inviting nose, bright acid and ripe fruit, with the petit verdot adding tannin, color and structure. This is a unique wine for Navarra due to the addition of petit verdot.

Laderas de Inurrieta 2005 ($35): A wine that makes a distinct statement, it’s 100 percent graciano, the best grapes from six-year-old vines in a choice vineyard. This is a prizewinner, sweet ripe blackberry flavors with white pepper at the end of the long finish, a lush wine that should develop even more finesse in the bottle.

The Inurrieta wines are handled by a New Jersey importer and should be available in the California market soon.

Imposing estates

In addition to claiming it’s the most northerly winery in Spain producing red wine, Bodega Otazu boasts a magical landscape, a 16th century manor house dating from the Middle Ages, a 12th century chapel and a state-of-the-art underground cellar. The property is so romantic that it prompted a Seattle restaurateur to tie the knot on the well-manicured estate a year after he’d met his fiancée at the annual running of the bulls.

Otazu wines are made from 115 hectares (285 acres) of fruit grown only on the 350 hectare (865 acre) estate, according to general manager Javier Bañales. A truly unique property, Bodega Otazu reflects the diversity of this region with several exceptional wines, including:

Palacio de Otazu 2006 Chardonnay ($10.25): A bracing chardonnay that was not subjected to malolactic fermentation, retaining all of its acidity and fresh fruit. Fresh green apples and a little honey on both nose and mouth, it was aged in the bottle in the cellar for a year prior to release. It’s a lovely cool climate chardonnay with a long, long finish.

Palacio de Otazu 2006 Sotavento ($9.75): The name, Where the Wind Blows, may help explain the lure of this most attractive blend of tempranillo (80 percent) and equal parts merlot and cabernet sauvignon. It fulfills the winery’s goal to have a fresh, fruity red, priced for wine-by-the-glass programs. The wine has lovely violet notes, with Bing cherry flavors and subtle spice on the finish.

Palacio de Otazu 2003 Altar ($50): A blend of the estate’s best cabernet sauvignon (90 percent), merlot and tempranillo (equal parts), the night harvested grapes have come together to make approximately 800 cases of exceptional wine. A seamless wine that combines mineral notes, ripe black fruit, chewy tannins and a little spice, it has great structure and nary a hint of the 14.5 percent alcohol listed on the label.

Palacio de Otazu 2003 Vitral ($185): An inky wine with highly concentrated black fruit, this is the bodega’s tete-de-cuvée. Complex, elegant, this is mostly cabernet sauvignon (95 percent) with a smidge of tempranillo from a very rocky vineyard, aged in new French oak for 18 months. Only 700 bottles were produced. A wine for the serious enophile.

Otazu wines are imported by Napa-based Esprit du Monde. To purchase these wines, log onto the company’s Web site, www.edmwines.com.

Although Bodega de Sarría was founded in 1953, winemaking had been conducted on this large self-contained estate for centuries. In fact, the Señorio de Sarría heritage dates to the Middle Ages. A castle, village of 500 and winery are located here in the town of Puente la Reina — along the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela — some 30 kilometers from Pamplona.

Wines are produced from vines on the estate that are more than 50 years old (the indigenous varieties) as well as from other properties in the province owned by a well-established family. The winery operation was taken over by a regional savings bank in the ’80s.

Favorites at this tasting were a pair of wines made from 50-plus-year-old vines:

Bodega de Sarría 2005 Viñedo No. 8 ($18): This is a stain-the-teeth red, a mazuelo (the Spanish name for carignane) produced from low yield vines, making for concentrated ripe fruit balanced with appropriate acid. It’s got a lovely black cherry finish.

Bodega de Sarría 2005 Viñedo No. 7 ($18): 100 percent old vine graciano, intensely purple, a lush, juicy wine with appealing bouquet and concentrated ripe fruit.

The wines of Bodega de Sarría can be ordered at a couple of San Francisco restaurants — Mangarosa, 1548 Stockton St., where you’ll find the mazuelo, at B44 Bistro, 44 Belden Place.

More great wine

Bodega Tandem 2004 Ars Macula ($28): Also representative of cutting edge winemaking in this province of northern Spain, this is a French blend, 57 percent cabernet and 43 percent merlot, that has spent 18 months in French oak. Earthy, powerful wine with spice, cassis and blackberries evident on both nose and mouth, it’s an elegant blend with a very long finish.

Castillo de Monjardin 2007 Unoaked Chardonnay ($10): Without malolactic fermentation, this chardonnay retains its acidic freshness. Great straw color, aromatic with the taste of crisp green apples. It’s a food friendly wine at a great price.

Castillo de Monjardin 2005 Deyo ($22): This single vineyard merlot is the perfect expression of the Navarra terroir in which it is grown. The nose and palate both showcase distinctive aromas and flavors of the region’s iconic piquillo peppers. Perfumy, with good structure, the wine shows off big, bold tannins and intense dark plums.

Bodega Tandem 2005 Ars Nova ($20): From a utilitarian above- and below-ground winery along the Pilgrim’s route south of Pamplona, this wine estate results from the efforts of partners Alicia Eyaralar and José María Fraile. This is a blend of tempranillo (50 percent) and generally equal parts cabernet sauvignon and merlot, a juicy wine with plenty of spice and blackberries, plus a touch of nutmeg on the finish. This one exhibits the new thinking among winegrowers in Navarra.

Bodega Tandem 2004 Ars Macula ($28): Also representative of cutting edge winemaking in this province of northern Spain, this is a French blend, 57 percent cabernet and 43 percent merlot, that’s spent 18 months in French oak. Earthy, powerful wine with spice, cassis and blackberries evident on both nose and mouth, it’s an elegant blend with a very long finish.

Bodegas Marco Real 2005 Garnacha ($10): Freshness is the hallmark of Marco Real and here is a robust garnacha from 80-year-old vines, with great spice and lingering flavors of cherries and raspberries.

Bodegas Marco Real 2004 Reserva ($25): A super blend of tempranillo (60 percent), cabernet sauvignon (15 percent), merlot (20 percent) and graciano (5 percent), red and black fruit flavors jump out of the glass. A great price for an outstanding Spanish wine. This one’s due to show up in the local market by the first of next year. Two words of advice — get some!

Bodegas Campos de Enanzo 2007 Remonte Viura ($9): 100 percent varietal, this expression of the indigenous Spanish white is fresh, clean, with great acid, tastes of limes and has a nice, round finish. Viura is a floral grape that can offer wine with great acid if grown correctly. This one comes from Baja Ribera in the south and should be available in the U.S. soon.

Bodegas Campos de Enanzo 2007 Remonte Tempranillo ($10): Produced from young vines, this is almost chewy and a bit tart. With a little more age, this inexpensive tempranillo should be a keeper as it has lots of black fruit and a peppery finish. Should be quite drinkable for the next few years — and the price is right for stocking up.

Bodegas Camilo Castilla 2007 Montecristo Blanco ($10): Harvested from 45 hectares of small grain muscat in the southernmost region of Navarra, this is a delightfully fresh and fruity wine with lively acid, a dry muscat that’s an ideal sipper. And the price is right.

Bodegas Camilo Castilla 2001 Capricho de Goya Moscatel ($60, 375 ml): A wine for serious muscat fans. This dark amber-colored honey-like wine shows what the muscat grape is capable of producing. It’s a dessert unto itself, with flavors of oranges, honeysuckle and coffee filling up the mouth and lingering on the palate. A real discovery — we can only hope some is exported to the states. Otherwise, we’ll just have to drink as much as we can on the next visit to the magical kingdom of Navarra.