Move over Chateau d’Yquem & well-cellared Vintage Port: This extremely rare library release from Bodegas Olivares offers so much complexity and depth for the money that it’s frankly astounding.
In the late 1990s, Bodegas Olivares unveiled a dessert wine that would become the stuff of legend. Crafted from their oldest Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre) vines, some over 80 years old, the 1996 Dulce was a revelation—powefully concentrated, delightfully sweet, and unlike anything else. It quickly found its way into the cellars of iconic establishments like El Bulli and Cellar Can Roca.
But as the world clamored for more, the Selva family, owners of Bodegas Olivares, held a secret close to their hearts. They had reserved a small portion of this precious nectar, leaving it to rest undisturbed in ancient 1,500-liter casks. This wine slumbered for 25 years, until 2022, when the family tasted this hidden gem and knew its transcendent moment had come. So, they bottled it in special 500ml formats, aptly naming it “Valor,” and prepared to share it with the world one final time.
The story of Valor begins in the high-altitude vineyards of Hoya de Santa Ana in Jumilla, Spain. Nestled nearly 3,000 feet above sea level, these vineyards benefit from hot, dry days and rapidly cooling nights—a perfect recipe for grapes that are both intensely flavored and beautifully balanced.
But what truly sets these vineyards apart is their ungrafted Monastrell vines, farmed organically since the 1930s. And thanks to deep sandy soils that ward off phylloxera, these vines remain on their original rootstocks—a rarity in the wine world. This makes Bodegas Olivares the custodian of possibly the largest single holding of ungrafted vines globally, joining the ranks of legendary sites like Quinta do Noval’s “Nacional” and Bollinger’s “VVF.”
To create this luxurious nectar, the Selvas allowed select parcels of their oldest vines to hang late into the Fall of 1996, concentrating the sugars and flavors to an almost otherworldly degree. Yields were minuscule—just 14 hectoliters per hectare, rivaling the scarcity of Château d’Yquem. After a gentle fortification to ensure longevity, the wine was left to mature in ancient casks, where it developed layers of complexity that only time can unveil. It’s rare to find this outside of Spain so it’s time to pony up for an amazing showpiece.
