Artuke 2018

The eponymous 2018 Artuke is a carbonic maceration red from a generous crop, mostly Tempranillo with some 5% Viura from vineyards in the village of Baños de Ebro. It was kept in concrete for three to six months before bottling, as there are up to six bottlings. 2018 was a challenging year with high humidity and issues with mildew that, in a way, limited the crops and helped to balance the yields. The key here was good weather during the harvest in October. They started harvesting on October 4th and finished on the 29th (with Paso Las Mañas). It's aromatic, with good ripeness and a juicy personality. There are notes of licorice and blueberries rather than red fruit, and it's nicely textured. Very good value. 70,000 bottles produced.

A wine that I purchase by the case when I'm on holiday in Spain, this is a textbook carbonic maceration red from one of Spain's best winemakers. Combining Tempranillo with a splash of Viura, it's fresh, tangy and bursting with raspberry and wild strawberry fruit. Try it lightly chilled. 2020-23