Ochoa Blanco Lías 2024, Bodegas Ochoa

Bodegas Ochoa Blanco Lías is a bright, textural white from Navarra made from Chardonnay and Viura. Grown at the edge of Spain’s Bardenas Desert, it is harvested early to preserve freshness, then fermented in stainless steel and aged four months on its lees for a little extra creaminess.

Expect citrus, pear, apple, white peach, and delicate white flowers, with Chardonnay bringing shape and Viura keeping the wine crisp and lively. It’s fresh enough for a casual glass, but the lees aging gives it enough texture to handle real food: seafood, tapas, creamy cheeses, chicken, turkey, rice dishes, and vegetable-heavy plates.

About the Winery

Bodegas Ochoa is a family winery in Olite, Navarra, a medieval town long tied to castles, crossroads, and wine. The Ochoa family’s roots in the region stretch back generations, but the modern story begins with Javier Ochoa, one of the key figures in Navarra’s late-20th-century wine evolution.

Javier took over the family winery at just 20 years old after the death of his father, Adriano. He helped move Ochoa from a traditional local producer into one of Navarra’s most respected estates, while also shaping the region beyond his own cellar. From 1981 to 1992, he led EVENA, Navarra’s Viticulture and Enology Research Station, playing an important role in the area’s modernization, vineyard research, and quality movement.

That next chapter became a true family project. Javier’s wife, Mariví Alemán, helped build the winery’s export presence, bringing Ochoa’s wines to a wider world. In the 1990s, the family expanded its vineyard holdings in Traibuenas, giving the estate deeper control over its farming and fruit quality. Today, Ochoa works from estate vineyards across Navarra’s varied landscape, where shifts in soil, elevation, and climate make the region especially dynamic.

The sixth generation is now led by sisters Adriana and Beatriz Ochoa. Adriana serves as winemaker and technical director, while Beatriz oversees the business side of the winery. Under their leadership, Ochoa has leaned further into organic farming, biodiversity, research, and climate-conscious viticulture—respecting tradition without treating it like a museum piece.

That balance is what makes Ochoa such a compelling Navarra producer. The winery is deeply rooted in family and place, but its outlook remains modern, practical, and curious. Our Blanco Lías selection offers one bright snapshot of that larger story: six generations, one region, and a family still asking what Navarra wine can become.