With France to its north and the Basque country to its east, the region of Navarra has always been a place of many influences. (In fact, for a long time, Navarra was a part of France.) And the same is true at Chivite. Since it was established in 1647, Chivite has evolved with the times. It’s one of the oldest wine dynasties in all of Europe and its history is uniquely linked to this corner of Spain.

So at this crossroads of Spain and France, between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, sits this very contemporary, but historic winery that blends Spanish grapes and French grapes in the vineyards and classic winemaking and modernity in the cellar. As generations of winemakers have come and gone, they, too, have left their fingerprints.

All of the fruit for Chivite’s estate-grown wines hail from the impressive 1,500-acre Legardeta estate with over 254 acres dedicated to vineyards. Here, everything from Garnacha to Chardonnay vines are grown on rocky limestone soils in a distinct microclimate that’s influenced by the Atlantic to the north, the Mediterranean to the southeast and warmth of the Pyrenees. At such an elevation, and in close proximity to the Ega river, the vines see cooling effects in the heat of summer (it’s hot here) and then protection from frost in the springtime, fostering low yields of beautiful, concentrated grapes.

With sustainability at the forefront, Chivite encourages biodiversity in the vineyards by way of trees and animals. 

Since 1647, Chivite has continuously toed the line between northern Spanish tradition and modern winemaking. A number of invoices and receipts from the War of Independence (1808-1814) were subsequently uncovered, revealing that the family had supplied Napoleonic troops with wine during their occupation of Spain, along with proof of trade with the French markets of Bordeaux and Bayonne—the former of where Julián Chivite Marco would study commerce in the 20th century. It was under Julián’s oversight that the modern-day chapter of the winery was born, thanks to his fervent efforts in pioneering quality, age-worthiness, and transportability of Chivite wines.

Chivite has attracted known global winemaking talent to its cellar, making it a leader in vineyard and oenology practices. These true masters have included the notable Bordelais enologist and consultant Denis Dubourdieu (who worked with the esteemed Chateau Yquem, Cheval Blanc, and Château Margaux, amongst many others), a white wine pro, who was the creator of Chivite’s Colección 125 Blanco in 1993. As well as César Muñoz, a prominent consultant from Spain’s Ribera del Duero also worked with the winery. And today David González, who has made a big mark in Rioja, also oversees the winemaking at Chivite. 

“Our guiding principle is to honor Chivite’s legacy while embracing new opportunities and challenges,” says González. The mission has always been to convey Chivite’s outstanding vineyards sites and traditions through the wines and to create bottlings that have the ability to age well for a very long time. Each generation has followed through, cementing the winery’s legacy.