Artadi Vinas de Gain Tinto 2020

Artadi, Vinas de Gain Tinto, Alava, Spain, 2020 

Grape: 100% Tempranillo from 20-30 year old vineyards around Laguardia, certified organic, hand picked, vinified in open-top steel vats, 12 months' ageing in French oak barrels.

Producer Tasting Note:

A challenging, fruity youthfulness with mellow, attractive and persistent tannins. Couverture chocolate, liquorice and black fruits. The fruitiness persists on the palate, accentuating its natural red fruit character. The style of this wine is characterised by aromas and flavours of fresh and delicate red fruits. Their sweet and subtle tannins generate velvety textures in the mouth. This wine can be enjoyed at a young age expressing the youthfulness of each vintage, or it can be rediscovered after having spent many years in the bottle. 

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"The young red 2020 Viñas de Gaín was produced with Tempranillo grapes from different vineyards in Laguardia and Elvillar at 450 to 700 meters in altitude. It fermented in oak and stainless steel vats followed by malolactic in barrel and an élevage in barrel for eight months. This is a blend from some 20 vineyards at various altitudes, keeping the older ones to produce a wine that has complexity and depth, the expression of Tempranillo in Laguardia and Elvillar. It is approachable and pleasant but with complexity and depth. It has ripeness and richness without excess." Drink 2023-2028

92/100 points, Luis Gutierrez, WINE ADVOCATE, February 2023

"Style: taut. Colour: deep cherry. Aroma: complex, expressive, spicy, mineral. Flavour: long, great length, grainy tannins"

93/100 points, GUIA PENIN (Spain), July 2022

Bodegas Artadi wines used to be sold as "Rioja", but have now decided not to be associated with the name and produce their wines exactly how they see fit for the best quality. "Vinas de Gain" is now labelled as a "village" wine.

Artadi dates back to 1981 when its current owner, Juan Carlos López de Lacalle, together with his family and thirteen local growers founded Artadi in the heart of Alava. 

Today, Artadi own 65 hectares of vineyard in their original site of Álava, in Laguardia, planted in soils with wide geological diversity. These distinctive vineyard sites give singularity to their wines, allowing the character of the fruit and the finesse of the tannins to shine.

Food Match: Roast lamb, Spanish ham (Jamon Iberico), chorizo skewers, meat based paella, grilled vegetables, patatas bravas