Nivarius “Edicin Limitada” 2019
Rioja’s first winery built exclusively for white wine, named after the Spanish word for snow.
Grape Varietals & Region: A blend of Viura and Maturana Blanca, drawn from head-pruned Viura vineyards on the slopes of Moncalvillo, Sonsierra Riojana and Alto Najerilla, alongside high-altitude white Maturana from Finca La Nevera in Nalda, Rioja all around 800 metres, where regular winter snow gives Nivarius its name.
Taste Profile: An intense nose where baked apple, white flowers and a delicate balsamic touch coexist. Fresh and balanced on the palate, with a verticality that sustains ripe fruit, dried fruit and a subtle mineral note. A long, enveloping finish rewards patience one of those well-kept Rioja secrets that only reveals its richness slowly.
Winemaking Process: Matured in 3,500-litre oak vats, where it also ferments for a year, followed by five to six further months in stainless steel to achieve natural decantation.
Winemaker: Javier Palacios founded Nivarius in Nalda after years working on other wine projects, drawn to plant white varieties in the Iregua Valley south of Logroo at a time when almost nobody in Rioja was taking whites seriously. He began with non-native varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc before shifting his focus to native grapes Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Blanca and old Viura vines already growing in the area releasing his first vintage in 2012 and building Nivarius into Rioja’s dedicated white wine specialist.
