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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"Overall, the 2023 Viñas de Gain delivers a compelling interplay of dark expression and agile structure..."
- Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous
It's been a few vintages since we've seen this one-time Spanish best-seller, but the double 93-point 2023 Artadi Viñas de Gain reminds us why the wine and the estate have such a devoted legion of fans. If you're an Artadi fan, you'll already know that this visionary estate has a tendency to buck the norms in Rioja, which leads to them declassifying the wines from the Rioja denominación, but these are still some of the most soulful and ambitious offerings you'll find. While the single-vineyard wines fetch big scores and big price tags to match, the Viñas de Gain has always been a stellar value driver, incorporating the exceptional winemaking of second-generation owner Carlos López de Lacalle with the prized terroirs around the villages of Laguardia and El Villar for a vivid, charming expression that satisfies almost everyone. In this vintage, Carlos tuned the winemaking and elevage toward the goal of crafting "fine-boned wines with freshness," as Wine Advocate puts is, and that's well evident in the 2023 VdG. "Broad yet fresh, combining juicy flow with fine, reactive tannins and notable energy," this is a sound representation of a movement that is finding real traction in modern Rioja, and with these kinds of results, Artadi is ready to reclaim its best-seller status in no time. |
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The bottled 2023 Viñas de Gaín Tinto, from a diversity of plots in Laguardia and Elvillar, fermented in open-top stainless steel and oak vats and matured in 500- and 600-liter barrels and the second winter in foudre and stainless steel. The second half of August changed the aromatics to riper fruit, but the palate shows more fluidity and more tension; it's riper and fresher, with abundant, fine-grained tannins. The wine comes in at 14.5% alcohol. 38,522 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2025.
93+ points, Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate (Mar 2026)
Blending Tempranillo with 5% Viura from Laguardia and El Villar, the 2023 Viñas de Gain opens with black fruit—plum and blackberry—lifted by a hint of bitter orange and marmalade. On the palate, it is broad yet fresh, combining juicy flow with fine, reactive tannins and notable energy. Overall, the 2023 Viñas de Gain delivers a compelling interplay of dark expression and agile structure, well achieved in the context of the vintage.
93 points, Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous (Apr 2026)
A touch of green wood spices to the rich but fresh cherries. Medium to full body, chewy and structured tannins and a tight, medium-long finish. This needs two more years to let the tannins settle. 95% tempranillo and 5% viura. From organically grown grapes. Drink from 2027.
92 points, Zekun Shuai, James Suckling (Jul 2025)
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