Artadi Viñas de Gaín 2018/2020

Located in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, in the beautiful medieval village of Laguardia, we find Artadi, one of the most acclaimed Spanish wineries today. Artadi wines are today among the best in Spain, and much of this success is the result of the work of visionary producer Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle. Artadi was founded as a cooperative in 1985, but it was not long before it became a private company in 1992. Lacalle's dreams were clearly ambitious, and his wines soon began to rank among the best in the country. One of the pioneers of Rioja to implement modern winemaking techniques, Lacalle drastically reduced vineyard yields, introduced French oak and malolactic fermentation in wood. Focusing solely on the quality and age of his vineyards, he set aside the normative commandments of Rioja that advocated long years of wine aging in large wooden tanks to earn Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva classifications. For Juan Carlos, there is no point in obeying the rules of the designations of origin if the winemaker does not truly believe in the quality of his wines.

James Suckling: Dense and broad, with impressive concentration and compact tannins that lend gravity to the palate, showing a touch of fine rust with fresh blackberry, iodine and fresh violets. I love the power here with the fine, grainy tannins, with a hint of chocolate. Long and pleasantly chewy. Tempranillo. Made from organically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.