Conde de los Andes is Rioja with a serious sense of history. Based in Ollauri, in Rioja Alta, the modern winery was founded in 1896 by Federico Paternina, on a site where his family had already been making and storing wine since the 15th century. Beneath the estate lies an extraordinary network of underground cellars carved into the rock over several centuries.

Above ground, the focus is just as rooted in place. The winery works with a mosaic of small, mature and old-vine parcels, including vineyards over 100 years old, across Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. Tempranillo leads the reds, alongside Garnacha, while Viura and old-vine Malvasía Riojana shape the white wines.

But this is not Rioja preserved behind glass. Conde de los Andes uses its history rather than performs it. Patient ageing, careful vineyard selection and a deep library of old vintages sit alongside a more contemporary interpretation of Rioja Alta. Classic Rioja, without feeling stuck in the past.