Artadi el Carretil 2015 Magnum

In the heart of Rioja Alavesa, in the lands of the beautiful medieval village of Laguardia, lies Artadi, one of Spain's most acclaimed wineries today. Artadi's wines are now among the best in Spain, and much of that success comes from the work of the visionary producer Juan Carlos López de Lacalle. Artadi was born from 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 ranked among the country's best. One of the Rioja pioneers of modern winemaking, Lacalle drastically cut vineyard yields and introduced French oak and malolactic fermentation in wood. Focusing solely on quality and the age of his vineyards, he set aside the Rioja rules that called for long years of ageing in large wooden vats to earn the Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva classifications. For Juan Carlos, there is no point following appellation rules if the grower does not truly believe in the quality of his wines.

Artadi El Carretil 2015 is a ripe, deep and very elegant red. This vintage stands out for its balance on the nose, ripe red fruit, and very subtle, elegant notes of spice and toast. On the palate it is complex, with a voluminous, frank attack and a certain agility that shows its freshness. A very long, pleasant finish.