A Day in the Vineyard
By Aaran Eccles, Fine Wine Sales
La Tâche, Musigny, Montrachet, Hermitage, El Carretil, El Pisón? The names of famous vineyards throughout France roll off the tongue and invoke memories of drinking bottles from the storied producers who tend those hallowed terroirs. So why shouldn’t the names of top vineyards in Spain be as equally memorable? The great vineyards of Rioja are undoubtedly capable of producing stellar wines but for years drinkers have looked for barrel age indicators to ascertain quality in Reserva and Gran Reserva bottlings. It is all starting to change thanks to Artadi vinifying their vineyards separately and showing the intricate details that each site can produce, stepping away from the Rioja DO in order to champion plots spread across two villages of Rioja Alavesa.
Tempranillo vines in rude health with the church of Elvillar in the distance
Guy Seddon and I were lucky to spend a day with Carlos López de Lacalle of Artadi exploring the mosaic of vineyards planted around Laguardia and Elvillar before tasting the 2023 vintage in September 2024. There are now eight vineyards bottled individually by the estate and so it was extremely informative to get into each vineyard and understand how the aspect and terroir of a plot contribute to the individuality of each Tempranillo cuvée. The vineyards of La Hoya, Quintanilla and La Poza de Ballesteros are all to the south of the elevated village of Elvillar and produce the most rich and dark-fruited wines, with a concentration and velvetiness reminiscent of Chambolle-Musigny. La Poza de Ballesteros in particular, with its slope oriented to the west and bathed in the afternoon sun, manages to build impressive black fruited concentration whilst retaining the fresh chalky acidity of the limestone rich soil.
Carlos López de Lacalle and Guy Seddon at the entrance to the clos of the Quintanilla vineyard
To the southwest of Elvillar lies the village of Laguardia where the vineyards of San Lazaro, El Carretil and El Pisón are situated close to the bodega. Where Elvillar has the power, Laguardia produces red-fruited, perfumed wines culminating in the weightless El Pisón — a vineyard planted in 1945 and rightfully one of the most celebrated parcels in all of Spain. Super fine tannins and plush fruit with spice reminiscent of Vosne-Romanée, it’s no wonder there is more than a little French influence in these wines, with French oak used instead of Rioja’s traditional American.
The two villages are barely four miles apart but there are so many finer intricacies to be explored in their vineyards, separated by the winding Arroyo de San Julián riverbed. The largest vineyard cultivated by the family, Valdegines, sits on a bank in the canyon carved out by this ancient river and is a delightfully harmonious expression of both the power and perfume of Laguardia and Elvillar. It is a perfect starting point to discover the single vineyards of Artadi.
Laguardia and the landscape to the southern reaches of Rioja defined by the Sierra de la Demanda
Artadi have stuck to their approach that great wines are made in the vineyard rather than in the winery. Their pure fruited, finely polished wines are evidence of the respect that the family has for each individual plot of land they cultivate. Pristine fruit that translates its organic origins is a great indicator of the terroir Artadi has in Rioja. It’s fascinating to watch each vineyard become recognisable to those seeking to drink the great terroirs of Spain.
The Cantabrian Mountains to the north of Rioja providing cool Atlantic winds cascading down to the vines in the summer
Vineyard location overview
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