Javier Palacios, a Riojan businessman from Albelda de Iregua, hails from the family behind Palacios, the renowned sausage company, which led to the creation of a huge Spanish food conglomerate. After selling the family business, he ventured into the food sector, founding companies focused on cheese and Wagyu beef. Before long,  his interests turned to wine.

Initially a partner in Valenciso in Rioja, Palacios later became deeply involved in Trus in Ribera del Duero, joining as a partner in 1999 and ultimately taking full ownership in 2012. Around the same time, he began planting white varieties in the Iregua Valley, south of Logroño. Initially, he focused on non-local varieties that had recently been approved in Rioja, such as Chardonnay, Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc. However, he soon shifted his focus to native grapes, particularly Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca and the old Viura vines that already existed in the area. This led to the founding of Nivarius,  the first winery in Rioja dedicated exclusively to white wines, located in Nalda.

Iregua, Najerilla, Sonsierra

Since then,  Palacios has expanded his winemaking footprint to other parts of Rioja, but his core  vineyards remain in the Iregua Valley. He now oversees about 80 hectares, planted at elevations ranging from 570 to 840m , ascending towards the Moncalvillo mountain range. White grapes dominate, with the exception of La Esperilla, an iconic 25-hectare vineyard in Clavijo, hoem to 50-year-old vines growing at the foot of the village's castle. This site became the starting point for his red wine project , Proelio, which operates from its own dedicated facilities. However, it remains connected to Nivarus via an underground gallery that acts as an ageing cellar.  

Another important area for Palacios is the Alto Najerilla valley, where the company owns 18ha of old vines, mainly Garnacha, in Cárdenas and Badarán. Additionally, they grow 5ha across multiple small plots in San Vicente de la Sonsierra and 20ha of recently planted vines in Elvillar, located further east along the Sierra de Cantabria . This vineyard diversity allows them to compare, for example, Viura grapes from Iregua, Alto Najerilla and Sonsierra. Grapes are also bought from suppliers, including fruit from Sojuela, in the Iregua Valley.

With 30 ha, Nivarius is probably the largest owner of Maturana Blanca in Rioja. These grapes, the last to be harvested in the Iregua Valley, grow on the right bank, facing northwest. Tempranillo Blanco (27 hectares) is equally appreciated.  The team at Nivarius tries to lengthen the growing cycle, aiming to harvest in the first or second week of September. In general, picking starts in Sonsierra, continues in the Iregua valley and ends in the Alto Najerilla valley. All their vineyards are certified organic.

The wines

The wines have been progressively fine-tuned based on the different valleys, grape varieties and soil research conducted by Chilean terroir expert Pedro Parra between 2017 and 2020. His findings connect freshness with sand, length with limestone and mouthfeel with clay. According to Parra, the best vineyards are those where the vine roots are in contact with degraded, but not deformed, rock. The Italian flying winemaker Alberto Antonini advises the winery, while  Raúl Tamayo has overseen the day-to-day winemaking since 2018.

Rioja wine production is just over half a million bottles: 350,000 correspond to Nivarius whites and 200,000 to Proelio reds. Just over 60% is exported.

The white range starts with the unoaked Nivarius Tempranillo Blanco (€8), from clayey soils which slow maturation, and Edición Limitada (€15), a blend of 70% Viura from Moncalvillo, Najerilla and Sonsierra. combined with Maturana grown at high elevation in Moncalvillo. There are two single vineyard whites: Finca La Nevera (Maturana from a 4.5ha vineyard in the Iregua valley planted at 680 to 750m, €27) and the top Valdesabril (€48), from two plots of very old vines in the Najerilla valley -the soil is clayey with carbonate veins on a limestone bedrock. The range ends with a Reserva (€47, 12 months in 225-litre barrels), made  from old vines in Sonsierra and the Iregua valley since the 2016 vintage. Other whites are usually aged in foudres and bocoyes.

The winery also makes sparkling wines: a Garnacha pét-nat from grapes grown in the Najerilla Valley called Lía (20,000 bottles, €11) and the traditional method Lía by Nivarius Reserva Brut Nature (€37), sold under the Rioja seal. Aged for 60 months, this is a well-defined sparkling wine with small, well-integrated bubbles. The winemaking is inspired by Champagne, with 50% vintage wines and 50% from a solera, a perpetual reserve started in 2017. The blend includes grapes from Sonsierra and Moncalvillo; 60% Viura and equal parts of Maturana and Garnacha Blanca.

While most reds include some Garnacha from the Najerilla valley,  the entry-level Proelio Crianza (150,000 bottles, €11) is mainly Tempranillo (42% from La Esperilla, 42% from Sonsierra). The core of Vendimia Seleccionada Reserva (€21) is Tempranillo sourced from Sonsierra, with just 5% Tempranillo from La Esperilla and 10% Garnacha from the Alto Najerilla valley, while the Gran Reserva (€66), released 10 years after harvest, is made entirely with Tempranillo from Sonsierra. The single-vineyard Tempranillo Puerto Rubio (€66) comes from the site of the same name between San Vicente and Baños de Ebro, with a 20% slope.

Proelio Viñedos Viejos, probably the winery’s best value red, is entirely old-vine Garnacha from the Alto Najerilla (20,000 bottles, €16), as is the fragrant, minty and mineral single-vineyard La Canal del Rojo (2,500 bottles, €66). This is a characterful wine that has been awarded the Viñedo Singular category.