Winemaker Spotlight: Manuel Louzada

"Set amid the rolling hills of northeastern Spain, this estate is the first Vino de Pago winery in Navarra, with all grapes estate-grown and the winery set in the middle of its own vineyards. Achieving the designation demands history, extensive studies of soil and climate, and a decade proving the wines are different, and the focus here is squarely on terroir: the 2014 Arínzano Chardonnay uses the Italian R8 clone yet yields only about 25% of its typical crop because of site conditions. With Manuel Louzada as senior winemaker, the work stays vineyard-first—walking the rows and tasting grapes to let the place, not miracles, shape the wine." - Jacob Dean