Rioja
2018
Grupo Artevino was founded from the expanding ambitions of the Anton Family. Originally coming from the restaurant world, the family owns the Michelin starred Zaldiaran. Understanding the complementary nature of food and wine the Antons established Bodegas Izadi in Rioja and over the next decade they added Villacreces (Ribera del Duero), Vetus (Toro) and Orben (also from Rioja) with the goal to “make high quality wines from indigenous varieties”. All of the properties operate with the same...
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This big red has a muscular structure, but the flavors are finely detailed, with black cherry, leafy, licorice and smoke notes mingling over sturdy tannins. Harmonious, showing depth and elegance.
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Impressive, polished and composed nose with an array of blueberries, blackberries and plums. The palate has a very composed core of fine, taut tannins that really deliver into the impressive, long and fresh finish. Great wine.
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Lots of fruit here. Full-bodied, round and flavorful. Dark berries, chocolate and hints of wet earth. Layered and flavorful.
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Bright, focused and deep, this red marries power with elegance. Offers ripe black fruit flavors, with notes of smoke, licorice, tar and mineral, supported by well-integrated tannins and fueled by racy acidity. The juicy, floral finish lingers.
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It takes guts to grow Tempranillo at 700 metres in the Rioja Alavesa, but that's the altitude of the vineyard that supplies the grapes for this 50% new French oak-aged red from Laguardia. Peppery, dense and quite firm, with some chalky minerality, lots of freshness and bite and the tannic backbone and fruit weight to age.
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Plums, dried herbs, tea leaves, cloves and baking spices on the nose. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins. Chalky and structured with a core of black fruit at the center palate. Firm finish at this stage. A little bottle age will make it even better.
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A tight red with blueberry and light vanilla character and wet-earth undertones. It’s medium-to full-bodied with linear, rather chewy tannins and a tight finish. Needs time to soften.
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High altitude plots at 750 metres in Laguardia supply most of the grapes for this ambitious, modern style red, with 5% coming from equally cool Leza. Youthful, polished and sensitively wooded, with a backdrop of sinewy tannin and a fresh finish.
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Saturated magenta. Seductively perfumed dark berry, cherry cola, floral and exotic spice qualities on the nose, along with a zesty mineral topnote. Energetic blackberry, bitter cherry and candied violet flavors show fine definition and deepen slowly through the midpalate. Fleshy and supple on the mineral- and floral-driven finish, which features a resonating cherry note and subtle tannins that sneak in late.
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