Artadi

In 2015, Bodegas Artadi famously withdrew from the Rioja DOCa appellation system because they felt the generic regional classifications ignored the specific terroir of individual vineyards. They wanted to label their wines by specific village and single-vineyard sites rather than the broad, generic aging terms of Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. This bold move allowed them to fully pursue their philosophy of Burgundian-style terroir expression.

Artadi is perhaps best known for "El Pison," a single-vineyard Tempranillo wine sourced from a specific plot in Laguardia. First produced in 1991, El Pison is widely considered one of Spain's most profound and elegant fine wines. It consistently receives perfect or near-perfect scores from international wine critics like Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Bodegas Artadi is based in the town of Laguardia, located in the Rioja Alavesa sub-region of Spain. Established in 1985, the winery meticulously farms old Tempranillo vines in this high-altitude, calcareous soil-rich area. They also operate a separate project, Artazuri, focused on Garnacha (Grenache) grapes in the neighboring Navarra region.

Artadi predominantly uses French oak barrels for aging their wines, rather than the American oak traditionally favored by older Rioja houses. The French oak allows the delicate, mineral characteristics of their specific Tempranillo vineyards to shine through without overpowering them with heavy vanilla notes. They utilize a mix of new and older barrels to ensure the terroir is the primary focus of the final wine.