Javier Palacios grew up in the heart of Rioja wine country, spent years in the food industry, and came back to build three wineries, two in Rioja and one in Ribera del Duero. WineWise carries the two Rioja houses, each dedicated to a different genre: Nivarius exclusively (and most unusually) to white Rioja, Proelio to reds. Two specialized facilities mean each can be made entirely on its own terms. The vineyards are relatively high in the Rioja Alta at around 650 meters, generally north-facing, with an average vine age of 45 years, farmed organically. ABOUT PROELIO: Proelio, Latin for "battle," draws from old-vine Tempranillo and Garnacha in Rioja Alta; the anchor estate, Finca La Esperilla, sits at the foot of the castle at Clavijo with 50-year-old vines. Raúl Tamayo, named among the world's top 100 winemakers by The Drinks Business in 2026, oversees the winemaking across both Rioja houses, and at Proelio his focus mirrors what Nivarius does for white varieties: championing the underdog. Garnacha had been pulled from Rioja vineyards for decades, sacrificed for the more versatile and commercially ascendant Tempranillo, the king of the Riojan hill. The iron-rooted old vine survivors in Proelio's high-altitude plots bring the story back: meticulous farming and attentive winemaking reveal what Garnacha was always capable of, and the Tempranillo alongside it rises to the same standard. These are wines of salty authority and real tension, built on the conviction that power and freshness at altitude are comfortable allies.