El Escolladero 2022 (Artuke)

Cellar for up to 20 years. Decant for an hour or more before serving. El Escolladero is the product of a lot of hard graft – its Tempranillo and Graciano grapes were harvested from a precipitous vineyard, sitting 660 metres above sea level, near the town of Ábalos.

It is classic Spanish red on the nose, exhibiting hints of raspberry, cassis, and blackberry, with nuances of spice. The name of this winery, Bodegas Artuke, is a portmanteau of its two incumbent winemakers – Arturo and Kike.

They are the sons of founder Roberto de Miguel, who founded the winery in 1991, between the towns of Baños de Ebro and Ábalos, in Rioja. The two sons have a special interest in discovering and preserving abandoned vineyards – of the 22 hectares that they own, 7.5 were once completely unused.

In the mouth, El Escollaradero exhibits succulent, well-balanced tannins, with a taut vein of acidity. It is medium to full-bodied, with a full complement of black and red fruits, spice, dried herbs, and cigar smoke notes.

Before bottling, it was plucked by hand and aged in French oak barrels for 16 months, imparting an oaky backbone. It will be an excellent partner for spicy sausage, mature cheese, or roasted red meat.