Oxer Wines: history, philosophy, and the wines of Oxer Bastegieta
If there's one winemaker who can break the rules without losing respect for the vineyard, it's Oxer Bastegieta. His wines have captivated sommeliers, collectors, and international critics thanks to an unmistakable personality, based on the constant pursuit of purity, freshness, and the expression of the landscape.
Today, Oxer Wines is one of the most admired wineries of the new Rioja generation, but behind each bottle lies a story very different from that of traditional wineries. A story built on intuition, hard work, and an almost absolute obsession with old vineyards.
Who is Oxer Bastegieta?
Oxer Bastegieta was born in the Basque Country and began his career making txakoli before moving to Rioja Alavesa to develop the project he had always dreamed of. In 2005, he settled in Laguardia, convinced that the region had exceptional conditions for making wines with their own identity.
His first wine arrived in 2009, made from grapes from old vines of local growers. That first experience confirmed that he had found the place where he wanted to develop his entire career. Since then, he has been acquiring historic plots and building a collection of wines that are now exported to numerous countries and receive international recognition.
A different philosophy within Rioja
Talking about Oxer Wines is not just talking about Rioja. It's talking about a different way of understanding wine.
While many wineries focus their discourse on technology or barrel aging, Oxer places the vineyard at the center of everything. His goal is for each plot to express itself as faithfully as possible, with minimal intervention both in the field and in the winery.
This philosophy is based on several principles:
- Organic farming with regenerative practices.
- Absolute respect for old vineyards.
- Early harvests to preserve natural acidity.
- Spontaneous fermentations with native yeasts.
- Very gentle extractions to preserve elegance.
- Use of used barrels, foudres, concrete eggs, and clay amphorae to prevent wood from dominating the wine.
The result is wines recognizable for their freshness, precision, and balance, far removed from the traditional Rioja profile marked by long barrel aging.
The constant search for old vineyards
One of the defining characteristics of Oxer Bastegieta is his passion for recovering old vineyards.
Since the early years of the project, he has reinvested a large part of his resources in acquiring small plots of old vines scattered throughout Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Alta, convinced that great wines are born in the vineyard long before they reach the winery.
Among them, Artillero stands out, a centenarian plot located in Elvillar, at an altitude of about 600 meters, from which some of the project's most emblematic wines are born.
Regenerative agriculture and minimal intervention
Work in the field occupies a fundamental part of the project.
The vineyards are cultivated using organic and regenerative practices, favoring biodiversity and the natural balance of the soil. In some plots, tillage is carried out with the help of animals, reducing soil compaction and respecting the roots of the old vines.
That same philosophy continues in the winery.
Fermentations develop spontaneously, extractions are very delicate, and aging is adapted to each wine using containers that allow the character of the vineyard to be expressed without masking it.
Much more than Rioja
Although most of the production comes from Rioja Alavesa, Oxer also works vineyards in other areas, especially in Bizkaiko Txakolina, where he continues to make Atlantic wines deeply connected to his Basque roots.
This dual identity provides an unusual perspective within the Spanish wine scene and allows for a better understanding of the diversity of his work.
A style that has captivated critics
Oxer Wines are consistently among the most highly-rated by specialized critics.
International journalists and influencers particularly highlight the personality of his creations, the purity of the fruit, the energy of the wines, and their enormous aging potential in bottle.
Beyond the scores, many professionals consider Oxer Bastegieta to be one of the winemakers who best represent the new generation of Spanish wine.
Oxer Wines
Over the years, the winery has built a catalog of very different wines, but united by the same philosophy.
Among the most well-known labels are:
- Marko
- Marko Gure
- Arbasoak
- Loretxoa
- Skin
- Iraun
- Tartalo
- Suzzane
- Kalamity
Each one comes from specific plots and reflects a different interpretation of the landscape, varieties, and terroir.
In upcoming articles, we will analyze each of these wines in depth: their origin, the meaning of their name, the plots they come from, their production, vintages, and scores obtained.
An essential winery for understanding contemporary Rioja
Oxer Wines demonstrates that tradition and innovation are not opposing concepts.
His work recovers historic vineyards, champions respectful viticulture, and uses winemaking techniques aimed at expressing the landscape before human intervention.
The result is wines with their own identity, capable of moving both the enthusiast discovering Rioja for the first time and the collector seeking unique creations.
Precisely this combination of authenticity, respect for the vineyard, and a constant pursuit of excellence has made Oxer Bastegieta one of the essential names in contemporary Spanish wine.