2016 Artadi Valdegines 750 ml

Most legendary Spanish reds, like Ribera del Duero’s Vega Sicilia and Rioja’s La Rioja Alta, took generations to earn their exalted status among the Old World greats. 

Then there’s Artadi. The world-class Rioja* benchmark estate stands alongside $1,000 Dominio de Pingus as one of the cult Spanish wines that have elevated the Tempranillo grape and achieved an insatiable demand in just a few decades. Not only has Artadi more than matched the legacy Spanish producers in stature, but by distinguishing themselves as one of the premier expressions of Spanish terroir, Artadi has become one of most critically lauded and sought-after wines of Europe.

We’re thrilled to Artadi’s incomparable 2016 Valegines with you today.

Valdegines, sourced from younger vines also at 1900 feet in Laguardia, is Artadi’s most accessible bottling, and what Wine Advocate calls the producer’s “prettiest wine.” Hailing from a 12-acre organic plot of vines 34-40 years old, Valdegines has spent nine months in barrel, and is lush and full of life with an inky red core. James Suckling gave this, the most affordable wine in the lineup, a 97-point score, and the Advocate called it “really captivating, very clean, fresh and open from the first minute after being poured in the glass.” In a word, they dubbed it “Superb!”

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Artadi and Juan Carlos López de Lacalle, who recognized how great the Artadi vineyards could be back when they were part of a cooperative of thirteen growers. He purchased the estate, changed the philosophy, and began making single-vineyard bottlings from the separate sites. Located in arid Rioja Alavesa with the snow-capped Sierra de Cantabria looming to the north, Artadi now consists of 204 acres of diverse vineyards.

Let us explain the * above, because while the quality of the Artadi wines is remarkable, the changes they could catalyze are seismic. Rioja has long opted for one regional identity and chosen to focus on aging regimen—using terms like “Crianza” and “Reserva” on their labels—while shunning the names of specific villages and vineyards. Artadi sees this an affront to the region’s spectacular terroirs, and finds the idea that a consumer can walk into a supermarket and purchase a six-dollar Rioja Reserva incredibly damaging to the region’s reputation.

So Artadi left. It was a move that, for producers that rely on the Rioja name, would have been extremely reckless. But Artadi has established such a reputation with their terroir-driven single-vineyard wines that the decision has done nothing to quell their demand. And the critical praise has never been higher.