.png)
Chaves
Rias Baixas
José Chaves Chaves founded the Chaves winery in 1955 in the Val do Salnes outside the village of Ribadumia. In the 1980s, José Chaves' son Cándido, played a key role in the creation of the Denominación de Origen Rías Baixas in 1988, making Bodega Chaves the 2nd registered bodega.
Bodega Chaves remains a family adega, rooted in the Val do Salnes, and the Albariño varietal.
The vineyards are located between the villages of Cambados, Ribadumia and Meis, in the province of Pontevedra, just above sea level and planted on granite soils. These orographic characteristics give the wines a complex structure and minerality, with an extraordinary aromatic range. They are called wines of "Atlantic Freshness" because of the Albariño's crisp, fresh taste, but also due to the influence of the sea breezes throughout the production process.
Castel de Fornos is the name of the first vineyard and first wine made at the winery.
Their vineyards such as Modia, Xesteria and Fornos are old vine sites, although not connected physically, are close to their Ribadumia base. All 100% estate, which allows total control over production.
Chaves belive that they should "listen to the land and only act when it is necessary", and they have reduced any intervention to the absolute minimum.
Frescal
100% Grenache Blanc. 9.84 acres from the La Vinyeta plot. 547' elevation. Fifty-three year vines on loam, clay, sand, limestone and calcareous soils.
Organic and Vegan certified.
Six months on the fine lees, stainless steel. Daily battonage for two months.
Production: 6,000 bottles
Yield: 1.8
Current Vintage: 2022
Origen
50%Grenache/30%Carignan/ 20% Tempranillo. 12.3 acres from the Pins Vens/Les Vinyetes plots. 547' elevation. Forty-Seven year vines on loam, clay, sand, limestone and calcareous soils. 5% French oak, (second and third use), Eight months on the lees in stainless steel.
Production: 11,000 bottles
Yield: 2.1
Current Vintage(s): 2021
.png)
Opta
60% Tempranillo/20% Garnacha/20% Syrah. 25 acres combined from the Serrrazuela/El Fogón/Rio Mayor/Ristillo and Los Hornos plots. 3,280' elevation. Thirty-Two year vines on mainly limestone and sand soils.
Gravity from crush to barrel room at the bottom. Organic and Vegan certified.
Twelve months French/American oak and twelve months in bottle. Kept four years minimum before release.
Production: 30,000 bottles
Yield: 2.43
Current Vintage: 2019
Opta was the Roman settlement near the vineyard.
Classic
60% Tempranillo/20% Cabernet Sauvignon/10% Garnacha/10% Syrah from the Bildorada/Los Cosos/Serrazuela/Ristillo/Cuatro Pinos/La Zorrera plots. 3,280' elevation. Twenty eight year old vines with limestone with clay sub-soils. Twelve months French/American oak and twelve months in bottle. Kept four years minimum before release.
Production: 25,000 bottles
Yield: 2
Current Vintage: 2015
Classic was the first wine made.
Allegro
100% Syrah. 9 acres combined from the Los Hornos/Pájara/Los Algibes plots. 3,280' elevation. Twenty five year vines on mainly limestone and clay sub soils.
Gravity from crush to barrel room at the bottom. Organic and Vegan certified.
Twelve months French oak and twelve months in bottle. Kept four years minimum before release.
Production: 11,000 bottles
Yield: 2
Current Vintage: 2018
Ganadero
100% Garnacha from small sites around the village of El Real de San Vicente in the Sierra de Gredos, within Méntrida D.O. The Sierra is a chain of mountains South West Madrid. 2,700' elevation. Forty five year old vines mainly sand and granite soils. Three months in 500 liter French barrels.
Production: 30,000 bottles
Yield: 2.4
Current Vintage: 2023
Ganadero means Rancher in Spanish.
Manton de Manila
100% Tempranillo (Tinta del Toro) from site #5, just South-East of Toro. 2,427' elevation. Twenty four year old vines on soils of sand, clay and lime bearing puddingstone. Six months French oak barrels.
Production: 40,000 bottles
Yield: 2.67
Current Vintage: 2022
Manton de Manila is the shawl women from Toro wear in the Winter.
Castel de Fornos
100% Albariño from three sites in Rias Baixas within the Val do Salnes sub-region. Modia/Xesteria/Fornos plots with an average age of 82 year. Soils of sand, mineral and granite. Outside the village of Ribadumia. 323' elevation. Stainless steel with short skin contact.
Production: 30,000 bottles
Yield: 1.07
Current Vintage: 2024
Nivarius
100% Tempranillo Blanco from two sites in Rioja-Alta: Outside the village of Albelda de Iregua and in the mountains above Calvijo. 2,296' elevation. Twenty five year old vines with ferrous clay, calcareous clay and sand soils. Four months on the lees with twice/week riddling.
Production: 30,000 bottles
Yield: 2.43
Current Vintage: 2024
Nivarius is Latin for ""snow-drift" or "ice box".
Crianza
80% Tempranillo/20% Garnacha located in the original Valcuerna
plots near the foot of San Lorenzo. Twenty-five acres of
sixty-five year vines on clay/limestone and ferrous clay.
12 months medium toast French and 12 months in concrete.
Production: 25,000 bottles
Yield: 2.3
Current Vintage: 2022
Relevo
50% Tempranillo/50% Garnacha located in the original Valcuerna
plots near the foot of San Lorenzo. Fifteen acres of
eighty year vines on clay/limestone and ferrous clay.
12 months 500 liter French for each varietal separate, then
blended.
Production: 1,500 bottles
Yield: 2.1
Current Vintage: 2022
