Crafted by the renowned 100 pt. winemaker known for putting vineyard-driven Rioja on the map, the rich and elegant 94 pt. 2019 Artadi Vinas de Gain is a Rioja lovers' dream, a beautifully crafted Tempranillo offering lush aromas and vivid, pure flavors with a velvety, uplifted finish, incredibly bargain priced for stocking up to enjoy often.
Founded as a local coop in Rioja Alavesa, Artadi has been transformed since the early 1990's under the groundbreaking leadership of fourth generation winemaker Juan Carlos López de Lacalle, crafting the Bodegas' first 100 pt. Rioja in 2004 and eventually leaving the Rioja DOC in 2015 to focus on its vineyard-expressive wines. Exhibiting the characteristic vibrant red fruit and dusty minerality that reflects its Alavesa terroir, the 2019 Vinas de Gain is sourced from Tempranillo vines ranging from 20 to 30 years of age, planted at altitudes between 450 and 700 meters in clay and limestone soils and all farmed organically. After overseeing the hand harvesting of grapes with strict selection, Juan Carlos aged the 2019 Vinas de Gain for 9 months in French barriques, yielding "a fresh, fruit-driven and juicy red" according to the Wine Advocate's Luis Gutierrez with smooth, silky tannins on a backbone of well-integrated oak.
From a Rioja vintage called "a perfect year" by Decanter's Amaya Cervera, the outstanding 94 pt. 2019 Artadi Vinas de Gain reflects an undeniable pedigree, a pure expression of its unique Rioja Alavesa terroir meticulously crafted by one of Spain's most acclaimed winemakers, an incomparable value for Rioja lovers and anyone looking for a deliciously satisfying red wine to reach for again and again.
A complete, fresh and complex Artadi single-plot wine with lovely subtlety. Spanish cigars, mineral, cocoa powder, some fine herbs, mussels and spices, with a background of fresh yet ripe, concentrated fruit showing crushed blackberries and blueberries. Tight, powerful but still dynamic and silky, with a mineral tinge to the supple fruit core in the middle. Not trying too hard. Impeccable balance with finesse! Tempranillo. From organically grown grapes. Already drinkable now, but better hold for a few years. Best from 2025.
99 points, James Suckling (Dec 2022)
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