
The Oliver Estate
Oliver Winery started in the 1960's as a hobby in the basement of Indiana University law professor William Oliver. His enthusiasm for making wine led him to establish a vineyard north west of Bloomington. Soon the flourishing vines produced grapes far in excess of his needs as a hobby winemaker, and he began plans to open a commercial winery.
Professor Oliver was instrumental in passing legislation allowing for the creation of small wineries in Indiana . The Indiana Small Winery Act passed in 1971 and Oliver Winery opened to the public in 1972. Initially sales were modest, but grew quickly after we began making Camelot Mead, a light wine made from honey.
Professor Oliver's son, Bill, took charge of the winery in 1983. He focused on enhancing the visitor experience by increasing wine quality and variety, establishing our gardens, and providing great customer service. Sales grew steadily in the 80's reaching 25,000 cases by 1990.
In 1993 Kathleen Oliver joined the winery as General Manager. This allowed Bill to focus on winemaking and viticulture and Creekbend Vineyard was started in 1994. Retail sales continued to grow and allowed for the construction of a new tasting room in 1997. By 2000 sales had reached 60,000 cases.
While retail sales marked the greatest growth prior to 2000, the years after saw tremendous growth in wine sold through wholesale channels. Major facility expansions occurred in 2002 and 2007 making Oliver Winery one of the largest wineries in the eastern United States. In 2002, interstate expansion began as Kentucky became the first state outside of Indiana to offer Oliver wines. By 2008 we had distribution in 14 states. In 2008 total case sales exceeded 270,000 cases.
The Vineyard
They farm 35 acres of vineyard land called Creekbend Vineyard, located in Monroe County and sitting on a ridge top overlooking the Beanblossom Valley. The site, with moderately sloped, well-drained soil atop limestone bedrock, is part of the geographic region known as the Norman Uplands. The vineyards are a mix of vinifera (Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, as well as small experimental plantings of Merlot, Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio), Native American varieties and interspecific hybrids (Chardonel, Marechal Foch, Chambourcin and Traminette).

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Luis Canas Rioja Reserva is made from 100 percent 95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano
A classic style Rioja Reserva from one of the regions most enduring family run wineries. The hillside terraced vineyards are sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains to the north from harsh weather extremes. Small plot production is utilized in this region of infertile chalky clay soil to produce clusters of excellent quality. Almost 900 plots are needed to complete the approximately 400 hectares of estate-owned or cellar-controlled vineyards, some with vines more than 100 years in age.
Tasting notes
Rich color. Very pleasant on the nose, subtle and elegant, complex, with aromas of fine wood, ripe fruit, coffee. Thick, unctuous and round on the palate with solid structure and juicy tannins. The second nose shows spiced nuances and black ripe fruit aromas.
Winemaking and aging
Upon entering the bodega, bunches undergo a manual selection and then individual grapes are sorted based on their weight. Following this double selection process, they are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then aceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 8 days, obtaining better color extraction as well as much more complex and tannic wines, suitable for prolonged aging.
After its primary fermentation, the wine is placed in barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for 18 months in French (70%) and American (30%) oak barrels, then aged minimum 18 months in bottle before release.
Total acidity: 5 g./l. Volatile acidity: 0,6 g./l. PH: 3,59 Free SO2: 25 mg./l. Residual sugar: 1,9 g./l.
Excellent with red or white meats, all types of game, roasts, oily fish, rice with meat and cheese. Within Rioja cuisine it is perfection accompanying peppers stuffed with cod, artichokes with ham, migas pastoriles and trotters
Review:
Elegant and driven, pairing muscularity with drive and nuance. Fresh pink citrus, pomegranate and cranberry dominate the palate, with energy and detail. The tannins are at once savoury and zesty and the wine lingers forever with detailed notes of oregano, thyme, tarragon and curry leaf.
-Decanter 95 Points