La Rioja Alta and Artadi 'Outreach'

12-Nov-11 - Last month I spent four days in Rioja as a guest of Berry Bros and Rudd, visiting four of their agencies, all of which I know very well, but it was a great opportunity to see what developments had taken place in the bodegas, and to taste the latest vintages. They were López de Heredia, Finca Allende, Artadi and La Rioja Alta. Leaving aside the improvements to the buildings and equipment (details in RIOJA REVISITED 2011), La Rioja Alta also showed wines from their other wineries, having expanded into Rías Baixas and also Ribera del Duero. Lagar de Cervera was established in 1982, and was bought by La Rioja Alta in 1988, at which point they discontinued their Viña Ardanza Reserva Blanco which I found a great disappointment, as it was always one of my favourites. The boss, Guillermo Aranzábal, told me that they felt that having two white wines would only make them compete one with another and, indeed, Lagar de Cervera is excellent, but I still miss that mellow old white Rioja. Next up was áster (note the lower-case 'á') in Ribera del Duero, housed in a magnificent new-build bodega which looks from the outside like a ducal palace and includes dining and meeting rooms, as well as bedrooms and a spotless, state-of-the-art winery on the top floor.

2010 Lagar de Cervera - Albariño - DO Rías Baixas - £15.45
Pale straw, hint of green; very fresh green fruit, ripe, clean on the nose; very fresh, crisp, lipsmacking acidity, more green fruit on the mid, hint of citrus on the finish. Delicious. 17/20

2006 áster Crianza - Tinta del País - DO Ribera del Duero - 20 months in New French and new and used American oak - £15.99
Purple; deep dark stone fruit, austere but rich; a biggie: heat, power, weight, ripeness, big tannins but big fruit, too, good balance, enormous tannins on finish. Needs another year. 18/20

2009 áster Finca El Otero - Tinta del País - DO Ribera del Duero - 14.5% abv - malolactic and 12 months in new and used French and American oak - £30
Purple; dark, subtle fruit, rich, hint of chocolate on the nose; huge fruit, spice, heat, power, structured, layered, unfolding in the mouth. This will be magnificent. 18>19/20

Artadi also showed wines from its extended portfolio, with wines from Alicante and Navarra:

2009 El Sequé - Monastrell - DO Alicante - 14.5% abv - 12 months in French oak (20% new) - £23
Purple; big, warm, hints of tar and rubber, rich, dark fruit; bigbig fruit, power, weight, heat and yet there is a structure, length, richness and power, working tannins but the fruit is winning. 18/20

 2008 Santa Cruz de Artazu - 100-year-old Garnacha (2,500 kg/ha) - DO Navarra - 14.5% abv - 12 months in French botas 33% new - £26
Purple, ruby at rim; dark spicy blackberry fruit; bigbig spice, peppery, fruit, enormous tannins but the fruit can cope, almost chilli-hot on the finish, long, tannins at end. 18/20

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