2021 Artadi, "El Carretil" Tempranillo, Álava, Rioja - 750ML

98 Points – The Wine Advocate

El Carretil is one of Artadi’s most distinguished single-vineyard expressions, produced from Tempranillo grown in Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa. The cooler 2021 vintage brought exceptional aromatic clarity and freshness, and The Wine Advocate regarded this release as perhaps the finest El Carretil produced to that point.

Blend: 100% Tempranillo.

Tasting Notes: Intensely perfumed and elegant, with layers of violet, blueberry, fresh herbs, bay leaf, and subtle mineral tones. The palate is finely textured and energetic, combining ripe dark fruit with chalky minerality, exceptionally fine tannins, and a seamless sense of freshness. The finish is long, precise, and lifted, favoring finesse and definition over sheer weight.

Structure: Refined, mineral-driven, finely tannic, and exceptionally age-worthy.

Drink Window: 2025–2040. Vinous places the wine’s drinking window through 2040, and its combination of concentration, freshness, and fine tannins should allow for graceful development over the next decade and beyond.

Decanting: If opening now, decant for approximately 60–90 minutes to allow its floral aromatics, fruit, and mineral detail to fully emerge. With another five or more years in bottle, 30–60 minutes of air should be sufficient.

For collectors drawn to Spain’s most terroir-focused wines, the 2021 El Carretil is a particularly compelling bottle. Its combination of old-world restraint, exceptional purity, and serious cellar potential makes it equally appropriate for an important dinner, a special gift, or a carefully assembled collection of benchmark Spanish wines.