2020 Artadi Vina El Pison

The 2020 Artadi Viña El Pisón is one of Spain’s most coveted single-vineyard wines – a modern Rioja icon that bridges classical finesse with Burgundian-like precision. Sourced from a tiny, historic 2.4-hectare plot in the medieval village of Laguardia, it is produced entirely from old-vine Tempranillo. With only around 6,600 bottles made and near-perfect scores (98/100 Parker, 99/100 Suckling), this is a collector’s wine that showcases just how refined and ethereal Rioja can be.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, 2020 Viña El Pisón shows a deep, luminous ruby core with violet reflections, hinting at both concentration and freshness. The nose is intensely aromatic and kaleidoscopic: rose and violet petals, Asian herbs and tea leaves, wild red and black berries, and a swirl of warm croissant, delicate baking spice, aromatic Mediterranean herbs, and a touch of balsamic lift. Already at a young age it offers remarkable complexity and layered nuance. On the palate, the wine is seamless and silken, with a texture more reminiscent of top Chambolle-Musigny or Vosne-Romanée than traditional Rioja. Ripe yet taut Tempranillo fruit—black cherry, damson plum and wild strawberry—is framed by ultra-fine, chalk-dusted tannins and a vibrant, mineral backbone from the limestone-rich soils. Subtle notes of cocoa, sweet spice and savory herb emerge with air, leading into a very long, pure and precise finish. While already compelling, this wine is built for the long haul and will reward 10–25 years of careful cellaring, gradually unveiling even greater perfume, complexity and tertiary nuances.

Production
Viña El Pisón comes from a single, amphitheatre-shaped vineyard of just 2.4 hectares in Laguardia, in the Rioja Alavesa subregion of Rioja. Planted in 1945, the old Tempranillo vines root deeply into a varied mosaic of limestone, clay and sandstone, underpinned by a deep combination of limestone and silt that imparts striking minerality and precision. Yields are extremely low, with meticulous work in the vineyard including short pruning and strict bunch selection to ensure only the finest fruit is harvested by hand. In the cellar, grapes undergo a 24–48 hour cold maceration before fermenting with indigenous yeasts in oak vats for about 10–12 days, with traditional foot-treading (pigeage) twice a day to gently extract color and tannin. The wine then matures for around nine months in French oak barrels, allowing it to gain texture and aromatic complexity without overwhelming its natural elegance.

Food & Serving
This is a gastronomic red that shines with refined, thoughtfully prepared dishes rather than overpowering flavors. Pair it with roast lamb or suckling pig, pigeon or duck with herbs, veal chops, or delicately sauced game birds; it also works beautifully with truffle-infused dishes, mushroom risotto and well-aged but not overly pungent hard cheeses. Serve at 16–18°C (about 60–64°F) in large Burgundy-style glasses to highlight its aromatic complexity. For current drinking, decant gently for 1–2 hours to allow the wine to unfurl its layers; older bottles (10+ years) may only need a brief, careful decant to remove sediment.

Producer
Artadi began as a cooperative in Laguardia, in the heart of Rioja Alavesa, but was transformed in 1992 when Juan Carlos López de Lacalle took it independent and set it on a revolutionary new course. His vision broke with the region’s traditional classifications of Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, focusing instead on low yields, precise viticulture, French oak and, crucially, early bottling to preserve purity and terroir expression. Today Artadi is recognized as one of Spain’s leading avant-garde producers, credited with helping redefine Rioja as a region capable of producing world-class, vineyard-specific wines. Viña El Pisón stands at the pinnacle of their range, consistently earning some of the highest critical scores in Spain and cementing Artadi’s reputation as a benchmark for modern, terroir-driven Tempranillo.

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