Artadi La Poza de Ballesteros Rioja Alavesa 2019 Red Wine 75cLBy Winebuyers

Artadi is somewhat of a newcomer in terms of Rioja – established in 1985 – but quickly rose to the highest level of quality in Rioja. Artadi has been hugely successful with vineyards in Navarra (Artazu) and Alicante (El Segue) and is also among the best of those appellations. The range includes excellent village wines and several single vineyard wines, all exemplary quality. The top wine is Vina El Pison, from a 2.4-hectare single vineyard of very old vines near Laguardia. Since 2015 Artadi chose no longer to use the DOCa of Rioja, rather labelling the wines “Laguardia”. Regardless of classification, this is a powerful but extremely elegant representation of wines from Rioja, of which it is at least geographically part. La Poza de Ballesteros is made from a 5.6-hectare single vineyard plot, in Elvillar de Alava, planted in 1960 to Tempranillo. Vines are west-facing, at 600 meters of altitude, and in poor clay-limestone soils. The wine is 100% Tempranillo, made from a single vineyard plot. It's a unisex wine, available in a 75cl bottle.