Valdegines 2022

Wine description for Valdegines 2022 by Artadi

Colour & appearance

Cherry red, clear and bright.

Nose

Subtle and multifaceted: violets and fresh red cherries, underpinned by peppery notes and a cool, almost chalky minerality. A bouquet of remarkable clarity.

Palate

Crisp red fruit, lifted by superb freshness. Fine, polished tannins, slender body, silky texture. Energetic and expressive, with a linear, succulent drive. Alcohol and wood are fully integrated – finesse rather than weight.

Finish

Elegant and delicately spiced, with a precise, long-lasting finish.

Terroir & origin

Four hectares, east-facing, at around 600 metres’ altitude in Laguardia – Rioja Alavesa in its purest form. The 36-year-old vines are rooted in clay-limestone soils, sheltered by the Sierra Cantabria. One of nine single vineyards that Juan Carlos López de Lacalle bottles under its own name and with its own distinct character.

Grape variety & vinification

Tempranillo with two to three per cent white Viura (Macabeu) – a nod to Burgundian tradition that enhances freshness. Destemmed, spontaneously fermented, and aged in increasingly used and larger oak casks. The result: structure without dominance.

Food recommendations

The combination of freshness, fine tannic structure and savoury depth makes this wine an ideal match for rack of lamb with rosemary, grilled duck breast or mushroom risotto with Manchego. It is also a naturally effortless choice alongside tapas with chorizo and Jamón Ibérico.

Special features

Artadi left the DOCa Rioja in 2015 because the regulations prohibited even the mention of specific vineyards – an untenable situation for an estate whose entire philosophy is based on the individuality of each site. Since then, Valdegines has borne its origin in its name rather than an ageing classification. Certified organic, from vines some of which are still worked by horse: a Spanish Grand Cru that tastes of its parcel, not of the cellar.